The Aftermath: Senior Year
by schoolmouse33
Summary: All is well now that May has saved the world from Team Rocket's attempt to capture Arceus, life gets easier at this point right? Or will tragedy befall? Sequel to Mission: Save the World. Contains CS/IKS/PS/LGS
1. Prologue: Explanations & Surprises

**Disclaimer: schoolmouse33 doesn't not own anything except the idea for this story.**

* * *

**_July 15th (Jubilife City, Sinnoh)_**

(May's POV)

I sssoooo do not have time for this. I dodged the laser beam leaving an ice chunk where I was standing.

"Mmmmmwwwwahahahahahaha, soon the entire city will be covered in ice and then I will conquer the rest of Sinnoh making me the supreme ruler of this icy land!" Dr. Frosicle cackled.

I sweatdropped, this guy is a totally nut case. I took out a gun with a rounded dart at the end and aimed it at the ray machine. I then pressed the trigger and watched the dart land on the control panel causing sparks to appear.

"Nnnnnoooooo, you ruined my machine," Dr. Frosicle wailed as he tried to gain control over the machine that was sparking all over.

After seeing he couldn't do anymore to make it work, he got off the machine and started to run away. I sighed, I hate it when they run. I shot an Ice Beam on the ground under his feet making him slip and fall onto his back.

"You know, trying to turn to this whole region into a frozen wasteland isn't a very original idea," I said tiredly as I walked up to him and zip tied his hands to a pole.

"Wait….you can't just leave me here," Dr. Frosicle complained.

I smirked. "Sure I can, the cops will pick you up in a few minutes. Besides, I have to clean up your mess popsicle."

"It's Dr. Frosicle!" He snapped.

I rolled my eyes showing I really didn't care. I then went around the town to quickly melt the ice and get rid of the water from the melting process.

"_Hey May, did you catch the guy_?" Max asked as I finished cleaning up the water.

"Yea, but he was really annoying and don't get me started on his take over the world scheme. I swear, everyone just wants to freeze the world over into a giant icicle," I muttered. "Can't they do something a little more creative, talk about a major boredom for my birthday."

"_So you would rather have the world in more danger so you can have a better thrill_?"

"No, but I wish villains would stop using the same evil plan over and over again," I said annoyed.

"_What are you going to do now, something fun I hope, Mew knows you need it_."

"No, I'm gonna visit mom and dad, I'll chat with ya later," I said before ending the call.

I then did the huge teleporting leap to the Petalburg City Cemetery. I walked up to the correct gravestones and knelt down in front of them.

"Hey mom, hey dad, it's me again. Sorry I haven't come to chat with you guys in a while, life's been crazy since I saved the world. For one thing, Drew and I exchanged promise rings," I said with a small smile as I fiddled with the ring on my finger before I did a small chuckle. "No doubt you would get worked up dad while you must be squealing like crazy mom."

I took a deep breath before continuing, "While I was reuniting with the gang, Giovanni slashed my back with a knife and I tossed him over the cliff into the sea in retaliation. PHPA later sent in diving teams to try to find him, but his body was never found. I also had the slash checked out and had a bunch of tests done to see whether any poisons or toxins showed up in my system. Thankfully, nothing appeared causing everyone to be relieved."

"After that annoyance, I had to deal with the last week of school which was a major headache since I revealed my identity at prom. Thankfully Steven was understandable with what went down so I was able to be finish up the last few classes and take my finals in the school's Pokemon Center under Nurse Joy's supervision."

"As to how everyone else is doing, Max is still being the smart know-it-all geek that he is. He's been on a gadget inventing kick for the past few weeks and he's working on a better device that will become my best friend or so he says. As for the gang, I haven't seen them since Reggie and Maylene's wedding a month ago. From what I've heard, they seem to be doing okay. They were really relieved when school let out," I said with a laugh as I remembered Ash throwing his papers into the air when finals were finished.

"I haven't been able to talk to them much, not even Drew. I've been swamped with missions and it doesn't help that people from evil organizations all over try to capture 'the most powerful pokemon of all time'. The worst time was when a group of men tried to capture me when I was in the shower, let's just say I broke a few bones and gave a lot black eyes and bruises," I muttered before continuing. "It's awful in a way, being called a pokemon so many times, having pokeballs thrown at you or keep being shoved toward cages, but it'll go away eventually, I hope."

"I also hope no one follows me and Maylene when we leave to train with Greta tomorrow, I've been excited for this trip ever since the end of May. I'm looking forward to training my powers and aura further. There are a lot of possibilities to explore that I learned about from reading into the subject. I also want to be able to truly accept the events that happened when the gang and I saved the world especially since the events didn't fully sink in since I was running on adrenaline for most of the entire time."

I looked at my poketch to see that I had been talking for two hours, "Well, I better get back before Max begins to worry," I said as I raised my hand for a few flowers to grow for each grave. "Again thanks for protecting me that night, I love you."

I blew a kiss before standing up and began walking toward the Pokemon Center. When I walked into the front area, I didn't see anyone.

"Guess they must be busy in the back," I sighed as I walked to my room to take a quick shower.

I came back into my bedroom wearing a towel to see a pretty sleeveless knee length dress on my bed. The top half being white while the skirt was white with an overlay of red material that had roses on it in a way to look like they were three dimensional.

"Why do I get the vibe that Dawn would have designed something like this," I muttered with a smile as I quickly changed into it.

I then put on a pair of sandals before I made my way to the kitchen to grab some water. "This is really starting to annoy me, where is everyone?" I muttered under my breath noticing that no one was here before taking a sip of water. "Better check the backyard."

I set my glass down and made my way outside, "SURPRISE!" a bunch of people shouted as I opened the door that led outside and took a step back in surprise.

"What the-!" I gasped as I saw that the back was decked out with decorations and that a lot of people were here. The gang, their families, a couple of Nurse Joys that were related to the one who raised me, and everyone's pokemon.

"Were you surprised?" Max asked slyly with a grin.

"Did you not see my reaction?" I retorted.

"Yea, it was actually kinda funny since you don't flip out a lot," Lizzy teased.

I rolled my eyes, "So what's up with this?" I asked gesturing to the backyard.

"Well…you haven't really properly celebrated your birthday in years so I recruited some people who would make things fun," Max said as he gestured to the gang.

"And for Mew's sake, you better have fun or we're going to have problems," Misty threatened.

I laughed, "All right all right," I said trying to calm her down. "To say the least, I am surprised."

"Good, then we did our job well, now for some fun!" Dawn said excitedly as she pumped a fist in the air.

I laughed again as they pulled me into the festivities. In the end, I could say that it was one of the best birthdays ever.

"Thanks again so much you guys," I said earnestly as I touched the charms on my new charm bracelet.

"We're glad you like it, we figured you needed something that represented us," Leaf said with a smile.

The charm bracelet held multiple charms that represented each member of the gang and my pokemon.

"So when do you leave to train with Greta?" Dawn asked.

"In the morning and we'll be back a few days before school begins," I said causing them to look at me in shock.

"You're going to be training for a month and a half?!" Gary said incredulously.

I nodded, "It'll be good for me and I'm looking forward to it," I said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

"Well…..keep out of trouble if you can help it," Misty said with sigh.

I laughed, "I will certainly try, thanks again for coming," I said as I hugged everyone before they left for their homes leaving just Drew and me.

"Think you'll be okay missing me for that long?" I asked.

Drew flicked his hair and smirked, "I'll toughen it out," he said as he took a step forward and hugged me. "Just make sure you come back in one piece."

I laughed, "I'll try," I said with a smile before kissing him.

"Message me the moment you get back," Drew said before he kissed me one last time and called out Flygon.

"I will," I called as he flew away into the night.

I then faced the Pokemon Center, "Guess I better pack for tomorrow."


	2. Anonymous Threats

**_September 2nd (Somewhere in the Mountains, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

"Thanks for training me," I said gratefully as I bowed to Greta in respect. "I learned quite a bit."

She nodded and smiled, "I could say the same, even you taught me a few things. Tell me, did you discover it on your own?"

I shrugged, "I was taught how to use the elements in pokemon moves by legendary pokemon. As to how to wield the elements, I guess I taught myself."

Greta nodded, "Still though, it's amazing what you have discovered with the abilities you possess."

She looked at the position of the sun, "I best return to my battle arena, it's not good for a frontier brain to stay away too long."

I nodded in understanding, Maylene unfortunately had to leave halfway through the training because there was trouble in Veilstone City Gym that needed to be taken care of and she couldn't let Paul and Reggie take care of it for her.

"Thanks again," I called before I started to make my way down the mountain.

I decided that it would be best if I walked down the mountain instead of teleporting back to Hoenn especially since I was constantly using power as I trained and meditated.

After I finally reached the bottom of the mountains, I turned on my pokenav to see where I was. The GPS displayed that I was a forty-five minute walk from Cerulean City, guess I'll pay Misty a visit. As I began to walk, I quickly looked to see if I had any messages. My inbox actually had quite a bit, most of them were friends asking if I was finished with my training yet. After going through the messages, I remembered that I promised Drew that I would message him when I was done.

After I sent him a text, I saw that I was on the outskirts of the city. I quicken my pace and entered the Pokemon Center.

"Well what do you know, if it isn't like May Maple," I heard a familiar voice say.

I turned toward the voice and saw Misty's three older sisters talking with Nurse Joy. "Hey," I called as I walked over to them. "Long time no see."

"I'll say, did you like just finish your training today?" Violet asked.

I nodded, "I climbed down from the mountain range maybe an hour ago."

They stared at me incredulously, "You climbed down the mountains, like why didn't fly down on one of your pokemon?" Daisy asked.

"I actually don't have my pokemon with me. I left them home with Max since this training was something for me to do alone. Besides, it felt like a great accomplishment to climb up and down the mountain by myself," I explained.

"You're like nuts, I couldn't make a trip like that," Lily said stunned.

"You sure look like you've trained hard, I think you're a little tanner and your hair as grown quite a bit too," Nurse Joy commented.

"You're clothes are like really worn out too, did you wear those clothes the entire time?" Daisy asked incredulously.

I nodded, "I lived off the land for the most part. I wanted to have a unique experience when I was training."

"So are you like a spiritual guru now?" Violet teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Not quite, anyway, is Misty around?"

The sisters shook their heads, "She like left yesterday for an undercover mission with the others. She said she and the others wouldn't be back until like the night before classes," Lily explained.

I nodded in understanding before looking at Nurse Joy, "Do you have any single rooms available?"

Nurse Joy nodded and got me a key, "Room 16 down on the right," Nurse Joy pointed out.

"Thanks, night you guys," I called.

They waved in return and I walked toward my room. After taking a much wanted and needed shower, I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep in exhaustion.

* * *

**_September 3rd (Cerulean City, Kanto)_**

I was sleeping soundly until I heard my pokenav vibrate on the table next to my bed. I sleepily tried to feel for it before I grasped the annoying thing. I looked at it to see that it was Max asking if I had finished my training. I quickly responded that I had, placed the thing back on the side table and fell back asleep for another hour.

After fully waking up, I changed into my clothes that I wore before the trek up the mountain and made my way to get a late breakfast.

"You sure slept in late," Nurse Joy commented as she served me some food.

I yawned, "I didn't get much sleep while training. Every day we woke up at dawn and went to sleep around midnight."

"Goodness, how are you still functioning correctly? I'm surprised you didn't sleep the whole day," Nurse said surprised.

I grinned, "Don't worry, I'll probably crash again when I get to Petalburg City."

"If you want to make the flight to Hoenn, you better leave now, the plane leaves in an hour," Nurse Joy pointed out.

I nodded, "Thanks for pointing that out, I better eat quickly if I want to make it."

She then left to help some trainers that arrived and I started to eat. After finishing, I dashed for the airport and caught the flight to Lilycove City just in time. When I arrived at the airport, I started to make my way to the flight for Petalburg City when I noticed that Steven messaged me asking me to come to the school.

I turned around and exited the airport making my way back to school. When I entered the campus, I was hit with nostalgia.

"Hard to believe that I met everyone a year ago," I murmured with a small smile.

I made my way to the office to find the secretary typing at her desk, "This scene seems familiar," the secretary joked with a smile.

I laughed, "It sure seems like it, how was your summer?"

"My summer was great, I got to spend some time with my relatives in Slateport City. How was yours?" she asked.

"It was good, got to spend some time with friends," I said briefly.

The secretary nodded, "Mr. Stone's in his office, just knock."

I nodded my thanks and made my way to his office. I knocked and heard him say that it was okay to come in. I opened the door and saw him looking concerned at his computer screen.

He then looked at me and smiled, "Nice to see you May, please have a seat."

He gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk before looking back at the screen. I took a seat and waited for him to look back at me.

"You said that you wanted to see me?" I asked.

He nodded, "I need your help and it is too risky for us to have PHPA do this case," he said concerned.

I raised my eyebrows in interest, him not wanting PHPA involved, this must be serious, "Two days ago, I received this anonymous letter," he said as handed me the note.

I quickly took a tissue and grabbed the letter with it so I didn't taint any evidence, "Did this come in an envelope?" I asked.

Steven shook his head, "The letter was folded up and shoved under my door at home so it's impossible to tell who could have sent it to me."

I nodded in understanding as I read the note aloud, "In one weeks' time, a student will kill another. You have been warned."

I stared back at Steven with concern, "Shouldn't the authorities be brought into this?"

Steven sighed and shook his head, "We don't have many options here. We can't have the police involved or PHPA because they will shut down the school causing a lot of problems. This can only be solved by someone trusted who can do this alone. Will you please help?"

I nodded causing him to sigh in relief, "Thanks May, unfortunately, you will not be able to tell your friends about his because they might report it to PHPA and I would also like to keep this between us, I don't want to worry the staff," he said sternly.

I nodded again in understanding, "Good, I also have a favor to ask, for the first half of the year, Brock will not be with us because he is taking time off so he can stay at home with Lucy and his new born son. So we need help in the Pokemon Center until he returns, think you can help us out?"

I looked at him in surprise, "I'm honored you're asking me, but what about my classes, won't helping in the Pokemon Center get in the way of that?" I asked confused.

"No, we have arranged your classes so that half the day will be set aside for you to help out without worrying about missing class," Steven explained.

"So when would I be working in the center?" I asked.

"From second to fifth period and it place of your coordinating strategies class, you'll have an independent study of treating pokemon under Nurse Joy. Here's your schedule," Steven said as he handed it to me.

Period 1: AP Physics-Mrs. Burch

Period 2: Working in the Pokemon Center

Period 3: Working in the Pokemon Center

Period 4: Lunch

Period 5: Independent Study of Treating Pokemon-Nurse Joy

Period 6: AP Comp &amp; Lit.-Mr. Little

Period 7: AP Calculus-Ms. Hiller

I nodded as I looked it over, "Also, you and your friends aren't in the dorms this year. As a treat, you guys have been moved to a house that's close to the edge of campus near the ocean. Consider it a gift for your guys help in saving Lilycove City last May," Steven explained.

My eyes widened, "You didn't' have to do that, we could have stayed in the dorms like last year."

"Nonsense, besides, you'll have more privacy for your missions and training," Steven said nonchalantly.

"Alright," I said giving in as he handed me a key. "I better get going, there are a few things I need to do before I start investigating. Oh, can you give me a freshman schedule?"

"I'll have one made for you by tomorrow morning," he said with a nod. "Have a good day May."

"You too," I said as I stood up and left the office.

I then walked off campus to a secluded area in the park and tried to call Max.

"_Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Max. I can't come to the phone right as I am busy gaming. Please leave a message and I will call you as soon as I have saved the world from destruction_."

I then hung up and sighed, "Figures Max would be gaming and have such a dorky voice mail message."

I then typed in another number and heard the phone dialing, "_Wally's Wacky Pizzeria, how can I help you_?" an automated woman's voice said.

"The quick brown Eevee jumped over the lazy Growlithe," I said calmly.

"_One moment please_," the automated voice said before I heard more dialing.

"_What did you see last week_?" I guys voice asked as the dialing stopped.

"A walking Magikarp," I said bored.

I heard laughing on the other end, "_That never gets old_," he laughed.

I rolled my eyes, "Couldn't you have come up with a better recognition phrase?"

"_Nope, I mean come on, a walking Magikarp, it's hilarious_," he snorted.

"You have a weird sense of humor," I said flatly as I heard him laugh again causing me to sweatdrop. "Listen Wally, I need a favor."

"_What can I do for ya_?" he asked as I heard him munching on chips.

"My brother is unreachable and I need a gadget for an upcoming mission," I explained. "Do you have a voice alterer?"

"_You betcha, what gadget do I not have_?" he asked in a bragging tone.

"I don't know Wally, you tell me," I said tiredly.

"_Well…..I don't have a gadget to throw meatballs and spaghetti, I need to make one of those. Mona, remind me to make one later_!" I heard him holler at his computer assistant.

I sweatdropped again, this guy is really eccentric, "_Did you hear about the stock market, Steelix Industries increased by 0.12% HA_!" he said excited.

"Please tell me you didn't rig the stock market again?" I asked tiredly.

"_I'll appalled you would even think that_," Wally said with fake hurt. "_I go about my business legally thank you_."

"Sure you do," I muttered.

"_I heard that_!" he shouted annoyed. "_Now you want this gadget or what_?"

"Yes please, I'll have payment ready for you in fifteen minutes at the spot," I said while nodding.

"_Pleasure doing business and order a pizza next time_," he hollered.

"Bye Wally," I said as I hung up and leaned back against a nearby tree.

Talking to Wally was like trying to talk to a kid on a sugar high, it's just impossible_. _Sure Wally is a great inventor, but his life style is very…odd.

I sighed as I stood up to get my payment, two dozen honey buns. Don't ask me why, I just pay with what the guy asks for. I paid for the buns and walked to the meeting spot. I placed the buns at the base of a Pecha tree and soon they disappeared and a small box appeared in its place. I opened in and saw something that almost looked like a metal/plastic choker necklace. I pulled it out and saw a note the bottom with instructions how to use it.

After fiddling with it and getting the pitch of voice I wanted, I decided to check out the house before everyone else would get there. I have to say, it did look awesome. Everyone had their own personalized room on the second floor, guys on the right and girls on the left. Downstairs had a kitchen, living room, and a room sort of like an analyze room for missions.

I went to my room and saw that it was decorated red with white and black accents. It was spacious and had a window seat. All my clothes were in place, my instruments were here and a new computer.

"They really went far in customizing our rooms," I said in awe.

I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly grabbed the few things that I needed before I left the house. I went to a cave that was a fifteen minute walk from the house and started to work on my disguise and make one more phone call.

* * *

**_September 4th (On plane to Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Drew's POV)

"That mission was a pain in the butt," Dawn complained as we flying to Lilycove City.

We all nodded tiredly. For the past few days, we were called to go undercover and gather information about this criminal organization called A.S.C. (Assisting Scheming Criminals). Lance gave inexplicit orders to not take the organization down for that it would happen at a later date.

"I'll say, were you hit on while we were there?" Leaf asked.

Dawn nodded, "I was about ready to murder them. Seriously, if a girl tells you she's not interested, SHE'S NOT INTERESTED."

"Tell me about it, you would think the guy would walk away, not corner you in a closet," Misty muttered.

We looked at her in surprise while Ash looked concerned/mad, "Did he do anything to you?" he asked.

Misty shook her head and grinned, "Can't say the same for him, he got to know my mallet extremely well."

Ash gave a goofy grin before kissing Misty on the cheek while the rest of us rolled our eyes, "_Did you send me the report_?" Lance asked as his face appeared on a monitor.

"We just sent it to you," Paul reported.

"_Good, now here are your poketches back and I took the liberty of picking up your school schedules. Also, Steven has informed me that you guys are moved to a house on the outskirts of campus instead of the dorms_," Lance informed us.

"Wonder why?" Leaf asked as she got her schedule and house key.

"_A gift for saving the city last May_," Lance said quickly. "_I'll review your findings in a few days, be on standby until then_."

His face then disappeared and we looked at our schedules.

**(Again like my other story, here's a comparison to make it easier for people to see who has what when and I know May isn't there to compare her schedule, but it is easier for you readers if everyone's schedules are here.)**

1\. Physics-May, Drew

Comp &amp; Lit-Dawn, Paul,

Calculus-Ash, Leaf, Gary, Misty

2\. Physics-Ash

Comp &amp; Lit-Drew, Gary

Calculus-Paul

Free-Dawn, Leaf, Misty

3\. Gym- Dawn, Paul, Misty, Ash, Leaf, Gary, Drew

4\. Physics-Misty

Comp &amp; Lit-Leaf

Calculus-Dawn

Free-Drew, Ash, Paul, Gary

Lunch-May

5\. Lunch-Dawn, Paul, Misty, Ash, Leaf, Gary, Drew

6\. Battling Strategies- Misty, Leaf, Gary, Paul, Ash

Coordinating Strategies- Dawn, Drew

Comp. &amp; Lit.- May

7\. Physics-Dawn, Leaf, Paul, Gary

Comp &amp; Lit-Ash, Misty

Calculus-May, Drew

"Haha, Ashy boy has physics all by himself," Gary snickered while Ash look horrified.

"I'm doomed!" he cried.

We laughed as I looked at my poketch to see that I had a message from May saying she was done with training.

"Looks like May is back from training," I announced.

"When did she finish?" Dawn asked.

"The message was sent two days ago so I'm assuming she finished then," I said as I started to call her.

The line rang but she didn't pick up, "Guess she must be busy," Leaf said with a shrug.

"Wonder what she's up to?" Misty wondered.

"Maybe she's on another mission?" Gary suggested.

"That makes the most sense, maybe Max knows?" Dawn said as she started to call his number.

We heard but then heard the voicemail causing us to sweatdrop, "Why am I not surprised?" Misty muttered as Dawn left and a message and hung up.

"_Excuse me agents, but we will be flying over our target shortly, get ready to jump_," the pilot said over the intercom.

We then grabbed our gear and jumped out of the plane toward a house on the edge of campus, "That must be the house Lance told us about!" Dawn shouted.

We nodded and steered our way to it, we then landed and got rid of our helmets and parachutes.

"This place looks nice, wonder when they built this place?" Leaf wondered as we walked to the door.

"Probably this summer, it looks brand new," Dawn commented as Misty opened the door.

We walked in and were impressed. After explored the main floor, we went upstairs to find our rooms. Mine was a soft lime green with white and grey accents and everything from the dorm was here though the computer was new.

"Hey Drew, Max is calling back!" Gary shouted causing all of us to go downstairs to the analyze room.

"_Hey guys, sorry about missing your call, I was busy playing Call of War_," Max said sheepishly.

"We figured from the dorky voice message you left," Misty said flatly. "Do you know where May is?"

Max shook his head, "_She tried to call me earlier, but I was busy_."

"Did she leave a message saying why she called?" I asked.

"_No, but according to the security footage from the house you guys are at, she entered the house yesterday to grab a few things before leaving again_," Max said as he typed on his key board.

Soon a video started to play of May walking in before the video sped up and showed her walking out with a bag.

"Wonder what she took?" Dawn wondered.

"_I can't really tell, but I'm sure May should be back soon, she wouldn't miss school_," Max pointed out.

"True, we'll text ya if she comes back," Leaf said before she ended the call. "We better go to bed if want to wake up for school in time."

We nodded and left for our rooms. After getting ready for bed, I sat on my bed looking outside while absentmindedly twisted the promise ring on my finger. May…please stay safe.

* * *

**_September 5th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

I quickly woke up to the sound of my alarm and changed into my disguise. I stopped for a sec to look at my promise ring before I put on the fingerless gloves. I couldn't force myself to take it off so I decided to wear fingerless gloves to hide it. I really went all out for this disguise. I wore baggy cargo pants, a zip up hoody, and a pair of Nikes. I also wore a beanie over my new cut guy haircut and a pair of purple colored contacts.

I grabbed a skateboard and my backpack before teleporting from the cave to a couple blocks from school. I then skated my way to campus and made my way to freshmen orientation. I can't believe I have to sit in and listen to this boring crap again. I decided to take the time and start looking at the auras of the students. So far, no one showed a red flag for being the future murder or victim.

Steven then dismissed us allowing us to go to our first class which for me was intermediate algebra. I made my way down the hall and heard gossip as to whether I, as in May, was coming back to school this year.

I then bumped into someone causing both of us to fall to the ground, "Watch where you're goin' punk," a senior threaten.

I rolled my eyes seeing that it was Brendan I bumped into, "Did you just roll your eyes at me?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, my eyes were rattling around after you bumped into me," I said sarcastically.

Brendan scowled at me making me silently sigh in relief that the voice alterer pitch that I choose was legit, "You better watch your mouth if you don't want a fist to it," he threaten.

He then walked away allowing me to get to class before the bell rang. Thankfully the morning ran by quickly without being bothered by anyone. When it came time for lunch, I grabbed my food and decided to eat outside where fewer people were.

"Hey give me back my lunch," I heard someone shout.

I got up to peek around the corner to see what was happening. It was a Brendon and Rudy taking a student's lunch and roughing him up a little.

"Don't you guys have senior privilege to get a better lunch," I said getting their attention.

"This don't concern you freshman, now go away unless you want to have your lunch taken too," Rudy threaten.

I took a couple steps closer ignoring the threat, "You asked for it," Brendan growled as he threw a punch toward me.

I put my hands in my pockets and dodged his punch with ease. He looked surprised, but then frowned before throwing another at me. For five minutes, I dodged their punches before they tuckered out and keeled over.

"You alright?" I asked the kid as I helped him up.

"Yeah, thanks for helping me out, seems the seniors like to bully the underclassmen. Don't know why they wanted to bother me though?" the kid said quietly.

"What's your name?" I asked as the kid picked up his lunch and followed me to where I was sitting earlier.

"Timothy Sanderson, you can call me Timmy," he said with a grin.

I smirked back, "Name's Mason Laymin."

"Are you a freshmen?" Timmy asked.

I nodded, "What about you?" I asked.

"I'm a sophomore, I transferred here from a private school in Johto. My family thought I'd get a better education here," Timmy explained.

I nodded before I continued to talk to Timmy. It was strange, he wasn't at the orientation this morning and his aura showed him to be nervous and cautious. I'll have to see what I can out about him later tonight.

The bell rang and I left for my next class. As I walked down the hall toward the room I needed to get to, I wound up walking behind the gang.

"Troublesome, quit worrying, May's mission probably is taking longer than expected," he said gruffly.

"I can't help it, what it May's in trouble?" she said worriedly.

"Dawn, May can handle herself. Besides, if she were in trouble, she would contact us for help," Misty pointed out before frowning. "She better."

I smiled softly and shook my head in amusement before going into the right classroom. Once the school day ended and it was close to midnight, I decided to do some research into Timmy and my findings were really interesting. Apparently Timmy came from a wealthy family and that he had been attacked at his previous school. After scanning other suspicious student records, no one else showed signs of being the victim.

I then dressed in black with a ski-like mask and decided to investigate by Timmy's dorm. I snuck my way to the building to find someone else dressed in black trying to get in through his window. I quickly ran up to the suspicious figure and pulled them down to the ground. He threw a fist which I caught before socking the person in the face. They then swung their legs low trying to knock me down before running off toward the edge of campus.

I ran after them as they made it to area of the house where the gang and I were staying in. The assailant and I then leapt up to the roof and started to continue to fight it out. The assailant then kicked me in the gut causing me to lose my footing for a second giving him a chance to try and climb down. Unfortunately, he tripped on a loose roofing tile and fell with a thump before falling to the ground causing a light to appear.

Great, I leapt to the ground and tried to stop the assailant from leaving, but they shoved me into some bushes and ran into the forest that was nearby.

"Piplup, use Bubble Beam," I heard Dawn shout from the back porch.

I stood up and dodged the attack as I was surrounded by the gang who each called out a pokemon.

"Stand down, you're out numbered!" Gary shouted.

Sorry guys, but I can't let you find it's me just yet. I pulled out a tube of metal that expanded into a staff.

"Torterra, use Frenzy Plant," Paul ordered.

I smirked from inside my mask as I ordered the plants to attack Dawn instead and hold her up in the air.

"Hey!" Dawn shouted angrily as she tried to escape.

"Espeon, use Psybeam," Leaf called.

I dodged the attack causing it to hit Gary knocking him out.

"That's it," Misty shouted as she rushed toward me with her mallet.

I shook my head in amusement as I dodged her swinging before sneaking up behind her and hitting a series of small punches on her arm making it numb and weak.

"What the hell?!" Misty said worriedly as she was forced to drop her mallet.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt," Ash shouted.

I stood still as the attack hit me with no harm and my staff. I then swung it at Leaf making her catch it in her hands. I pressed a button to release the stored up electricity to shock her. She then fainted as Paul and Drew started to race toward me. They fought in sync causing me to raise my eyebrows in surprise, seems they trained quite a bit over the summer. I dodged their attacks and subtlety delivered a bunch of small punches to numb their limbs causing them to collapse.

Ash and Dawn then called for Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt signaling it was time to leave. I threw down some smoke pellets and used the cover to run back to the cave.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

What…..the…..hell.

I quickly ran over to Paul and Drew to see if they were all right while Ash and Misty ran to Gary and Leaf.

"You guys okay?" I asked.

"Ugh, I feel numb and weak," Drew moaned as he tried to sit up, but nearly collapsed.

"Who was that guy?" Ash asked as he helped Gary up.

"I don't know, but they were good," Paul muttered as I helped him up.

"We better take you to the hospital if you feel this weak," I said concerned as I had Paul lean on me for support.

"We'll be fine Dawn, we'll feel better later in the morning," Drew said tiredly.

"Too bad May wasn't here, she could have probably kicked that guys butt," Ash said thoughtfully.

"I don't know, that guy did stuff to knock us out pretty quickly, it's almost as if they were a pro," Misty pointed out.

"All the same, we can figure out who that person is later. We should get back to bed while we can still grab some shut eye," Leaf said with a yawn.

We nodded as we recalled our pokemon and went back into the house. I then helped Paul to his room before he eased himself down onto his bed.

"What's on your mind Troublesome, you seem awfully quiet for being attacked from Frenzy Plant," he said tiredly.

I shook my head, "It doesn't make sense, how could they have dodged that attack?"

Paul shook his head, "I don't know, they could have slipped through and dodged."

I shook my head again as I sat on the edge of his bed, "No, it was almost like they controlled the plants and had them attack me. That has to be the answer, but no one can control nature like that except May, Argh!" I groaned in frustration.

Paul sat up and looked at me, "We'll figure it out in the morning, now go to bed before you develop a headache from thinking too much."

I rolled my eyes before he kissed me and I left his room. There's no way that person could dodged that attack, time to do some research.


	3. Catching the Kid

**_September 5th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

I went back to my room to give everyone the feeling that I went back to bed. After waiting and making sure everyone was asleep, I crept down stairs to the computer room.

"Now let's see if Max really did trick out this house," I muttered as I quietly shut the door and began to type rapidly to pull up security footage from the backyard.

Much to my disappointment, it was too dark to see anything. I then smirked, "Let's see if Max's encrypting programs are on here."

I did some more typing and soon the picture was visible enough to see what was happening. The video started and showed two black dressed figures fighting. I was surprised by this and re-watched that part again, who are those two figures?

I then ran a scanning program to see if it could pick up any clues from the video. Unfortunately, nothing stood out, but I did notice that the one black person we didn't fight had a slight leg injury when fighting. Maybe it happened when he fell off the roof?

I then did a search of people checking into hospitals in Lilycove within the hour. I struck out seeing no persons came in with a leg injury. I then played the video through the entire fight especially when the intruder controlled that Frenzy Plant attack at me. Just as I thought, the assailant didn't dodge, they just stood there and the Frenzy Plant moved to my direction meaning they must have controlled it.

Since there was no more I could from watching the video footage, I decided the next thing to do was to check the area where the fight took place. But that would be difficult to do if I couldn't see, I need a gadget_._ I looked around the room hoping there might be a hidden storage place of gadgets. I then pressed a part of the wall and a keypad showed up along with a retina scanner.

"_Please let us scan you for identification_," an automated voice spoke.

I blinked in surprise but let my eyes be scanned, "_Welcome Dawn, please input a password of your choice_."

I did as they said and the keypad and scanner disappeared to open a cabinet of sorts with a few gadgets in it, "_Welcome to your storage locker of available gadgets, have a pleasant evening_," the automated voice said nicely.

Cool! The only gadgets that were the infrared sunglasses, the hologram projection ring, and a new gadget that looked like a belt with a heart in the center.

"I wonder what this gadget is?" I murmured while picking it up.

"_That gadget is the cable bungee belt. Pick up the heart and aim it at the direction you need and you can lifted or dropped down where you need to go_," the automated voice explained.

I looked at in amazement, not badly styled and just what I needed for a simple mission like this, thank you Max. I grabbed them and pressed a button for the sliding door to close. I then snuck back upstairs and dressed in black. I set up the hologram projection ring so that it looked like I was sleeping and grabbed Quilava's pokeball just in case.

I snuck out the window and stepped into the backyard. I then put on the sunglasses and started to look around. The glasses then zoomed in on a shell casing of sorts and I picked it up to place on a scanning tray of my poketch. After ten minutes the results were finished causing me to huff, we really need new poketches. The casing contained chemicals for creating smoke by force of impact, guess this casing didn't completely disintegrate.

I then noticed two sets of footprints in the damp grass, now to follow them. Wait….I need to do this without leaving my own knowing that everyone will find the footprints out as well. I looked at the trees, let's see if this bungee belt is any good. I did as the automated voice told me and was hoisted into the tree. Let's see where this set leads too.

I then kept jumping between tree limbs until I reached the school grounds making it impossible to distinguish whose footprints were whose. I then went back the way I came and started to follow the other set of footprints which led to a cave a short ways from the house.

"Looks like someone has been camping out here," I murmured as I looked around.

I went further in to discover that no one was there meaning the person skipped out. I yawned and looked at the time, crap, homeroom is in fifteen minutes!

I quickly made it back to my room and shut off the ring. I quickly changed, grabbed a granola bar and ran to the school. I looked at my poketch to see that the bell would ring in a minute, no time for me to take the stairs to the third floor.

I smirked and looked at the bungee belt, guess I'll have to improvise. I then took aim at the roof and slid up all the way. Then I took position from the roof and counted to three before I swung down to the right window and slid right into my correct seat as the belt released.

"Dawn Berlitz," the teacher called on the attendance seat not looking up.

"Here," I called causing everyone including the gang and even Paul to look surprised.

"Huh, I didn't see you come in" the teacher said surprised before continuing down the list.

"How in the world did you get here?" Gary asked shocked as I started to eat my granola bar.

"Seriously and where were you, we banged on your door and we heard nothing," Leaf added.

I shrugged, "I overslept, we did go to bed late last night."

Drew and Paul didn't buy it, "Uh huh, where did you go Troublesome?" Paul asked.

I gave him a bored look, "I have no idea what you're talking about, I was sleeping," I said bored while trying extremely hard to suppress a yawn.

"Quit it Dawn, your aura is showing you're exhausted so spill," Drew frowned.

I raised my eyebrows, "Are you reading auras like May now?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I have been practicing quite a bit, but you're avoiding the question so talk."

The bell then rang and I stood up, "Guess we better get to class," I said cheerfully glad that the bell rang.

Everyone glared at me before they stood up to leave. I don't know why I didn't tell them what I did last night, guess I want to try to figure this out on my own since I'm the only one taking this seriously.

I noticed Paul left without me leaving me a little hurt, but I guess I deserve that since I did lie. I then left for class and walked into the hall bumping into someone.

"Watch where you're going bitch," a guy muttered before standing up and started to walk away with a slight limp.

I did a double take and watched the guy walk down the hall. Then I noticed a guy in the other hallway looking at him too. I switched my focus to the other guy, he was a little taller than me, dressed in skater type clothes and wore a beanie. The thing that struck out to me was that the guy looked a little feminine, I wonder who he is?

* * *

(May's POV)

I then felt someone staring at me and turned to see that Dawn was looking at me. She then frowned slightly as she saw my face, crap!

I then turned back down the hall and made my way to class. Something told me that Dawn was super suspicious about what happened with the Frenzy Plant last night and decided to investigate. Good thing I teleported to a cave further down, no doubt she must have looked at the one I had been staying in. I wonder why she was looking at the guy with the limp, does she know I fought him? Argh, I have too many questions and few answers.

During lunch, I trailed Timmy to his locker and I got a bad feeling because the lock looked like it was tampered with, "Hey Timmy, you heading to lunch?" I asked getting him to turn his attention to me.

"Yea, I wanted to get my lunch out," he said turning toward his locker again.

"Hey, I'll treat ya today," I said quickly causing Timmy to look at me in surprise.

"You don't need to do that," he said. "The lunch I brought with me will be fine."

Dang it, "Come on, it's popcorn chicken, tell me you don't want that," I said as convincingly as I could.

"Popcorn chicken does sound good," he said unsure.

"It's settled, I'll buy your lunch," I said while silently sighing in relief.

"Thanks," Timmy said with a smile as we walked to the lunchroom.

I then heard footsteps behind me and a brief glimpse of Dawn heading down another hallway.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I sure hope they didn't see me, I was walking to lunch when I saw those two guys talking and the guy in the beanie looked a little nervous as if trying to get the other kid from opening his locker. Better sneak a look while I still have the chance.

I put on the sunglasses and looked around to see if people were in the halls. After seeing the coast was clear, I walked to the locker and looked at it. It looked someone subtlety tried to force their way in. I took a closer look to see that the opening had an explosive device rigged to it causing to cover my mouth from gasping.

"Don't worry Timmy, I'll be right, I just need to use the bathroom," I heard beanie boy say.

I quickly ducked into the girl's bathroom in the hall and pretended for a minute to check my appearance before going to the door and sneakily peek out.

I then saw beanie boy at 'Timmy's' locker and look at it closely before pulling out the same sunglasses as me, "I knew it," I heard him mutter.

He then grabbed a paperclip and bent it into a hook shape and stuck it through one of the slits on the door. He then hooked the wires and made a motion with his free hand to a clenched fist to tighten the hook of the paperclip.

I blinked in surprise, tha…..that's not possible, did he just….bend metal?! He then pulled quickly and the wires came out. He sighed as well as me in silence that there was no explosion. He then opened the locker and got rid of the bomb parts and started to walk toward the cafeteria. I then walked back deeper into the bathroom and waited a few minutes before coming out.

I quickly looked at the time to see that I only had five minutes to eat, guess I'll have to look into the kid later_._ I then booked it for the lunchroom to grab at least a juice before they closed.

* * *

(May's POV)

Good thing I was able to disable that bomb, no doubt there would have been a lot of problems if it went off. I put the bomb parts in my pockets as I walked back to the cafeteria. I sat down and started to quickly eat my lunch. While I was doing so, I looked to see Dawn running through the lunch line to grab a juice, didn't she grab lunch?

I then looked at the table where everyone else was sitting at and saw them looking annoyed with her, wonder why? Stop it May, you have a case to focus on. Whatever Dawn is having trouble with, she can fix herself.

The rest of the day was quiet and I decided the best course of action was to keep tabs on Timmy. So I tailed him and somewhat spied on him after school. I finished my sandwich that I brought me for my supper and looked at my poketch to see that it was 10:00 PM. Guess I better camp out in the trees tonight in case of anymore funny business.

Thirty minutes later as I was dosing, a buzzing went off in my ear to signal that someone was near Timmy's door. I quickly looked with my sunglasses and saw the figure in black. It looked like they were trying to break in. I quickly teleported to the side stairs and peeked down the hall to see the intruder break his way in.

I crept to the door and saw the moonlight reflect off the knife in his hands. I quickly grabbed the guy from behind and pulled him into the hallway. We then started to fight and he took off toward the stairs. I chased after him as he ran for the outskirts of the school toward the house again. I was finally able to overtake him about halfway there and we crashed to the ground.

Suddenly I felt myself being stabbed with something and I fell unconscious.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I was sitting in my room upstairs on my laptop while everyone else was down in command central still investigating last night's fight. They didn't tell me to join the pow-wow probably because they are still mad at me, but at least I'm not missing anything.

I hacked into the school's student records trying to find the identities of both students. I found Mason's (beanie boy's) file first. It had the basic info, but it seemed fake and it was missing a few major pieces. I then face-palmed at my stupidity, Mason Laymin, Linnea/May Mason along with the bending and the high level martial arts. Guess this explains why May hasn't shown up for class yet.

So what mission is she trying to do and why hasn't she said anything to us? I then tried to find the identity of the other kid with the limp, but I didn't see his face well enough to recognize him and I don't know his name making it impossible to figure out who he is.

I closed my laptop and decided to take a walk to try and clear my head. After setting up the ring and taking Piplup's pokeball for precaution, I slipped out the window and made my way to the school.

As I was walking, Piplup let himself out of his pokeball, "What's with you and everyone else, they seem to be ignoring you."

I sighed, "I haven't told them where I was last night and I kinda denied to their faces that I was sleeping."

"Why?" he asked as he tilted his head.

"I don't know, I guess I wanted to figure it out myself and now I want May to finish her mission without us interfering especially since she didn't tell us what she was doing in the first place," I explained.

I then saw some bushes that looked flat and decided to investigate.

I walked closer and gasped, "Oh my Mew! May!" I cried as I ran to her side as Piplup looked at me strangely.

"This is May, she went undercover as a freshman guy and you can't tell anyone," I said sternly.

He nodded and looked concerned, "What should we do?"

"Let me check her pulse," I said quickly as I put two fingers to her neck and noticed that she was covered in sweat.

"It looks like she's been poisoned," I said breathily as I felt her forehead to feel a fever.

I then heard voices nearby, crap. I grabbed under May's arms and dragged her behind some shrubs to hide her.

"Piplup, stay her and watch May, I'm gonna sneak to the house and grab some stuff to help," I said causing Piplup to nod.

As soon as the voices disappeared, I ran to the house and crawled through my window. I peeked into the hall seeing that everyone's lights were off signaling everyone probably went to bed. I then crept to the kitchen to find the berries, herbs, and medicines that I would need from the short lesson May taught us about creating antidotes for poisons.

I went back to my room and shut the door to hear "Where do you think you're going?"

I quickly turned around in fear to find Paul leaning against the wall behind the door. I then scowled, "I went to take a walk, is that a problem?"

I then turned to walk toward the window, but I felt an arm grab me, "I don't like being lied to Troublesome. Now spill, what have you been doing?" he said harshly.

I felt his grip on my arm tighten causing me to wince in pain, "Paul, can't you let me go about my business in secret?"

"No, for all I know, you could be doing something stupid or putting yourself in danger. I think it's my right as your boyfriend to know why you are sneaking around and lying to everyone including me," he growled.

I sighed in frustration, "It's complicated!" I snapped in a whisper.

"Explain," he said sternly.

"I can't for the sake of someone else and this someone else needs medical treatment so can I go now?" I asked harshly.

"No, not until you explain what you have been doing," he said again.

I wanted to stomp my foot and scream, figures I had to fall in love with the guy who is like a statue. I then kissed him hard catching him by surprise and pressed pressure points on his wrist so he could let go of my arm.

I took a step back and smirked while he scowled, "You wouldn't let me go," I explained before sighing. "You can come and I'll explain everything, but you can't tell anyone else."

I then turned to walk to the window only to be grabbed by the arm again, spun around, and kissed fully for thirty seconds, "That's for getting me," he said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and tried to kiss him, but he moved away, "You don't get to do that until I hear the full story," he said causing me to scowl.

"Fine," I huffed before looking at my bedside clock to see that twenty minutes had passed since I left May. "We need to go."

I left through the window with Paul following me and then I immediately broke into a sprint with Paul beside me. I then told him everything that I saw and what I had dug up investigating. We then got to May and saw Piplup using Water Gun lightly to try and keep her fever down.

He looked in surprise to see Paul, "What is he doing here, I thought you said that no one was to know," he said confused.

"No one was supposed to, but unfortunately he put me in a position of where I couldn't leave without explaining," I huffed annoyed.

"Technically Troublesome, you escaped with that maneuver you pulled so you didn't have to tell me," Paul retorted.

"Really because after I escaped, you caught me again," I snapped as I started to mash up the berries and herbs together.

"Do you really have to have a pointless lover's argument right now," Piplup moaned in disgust.

Paul and I rolled our eyes as I finished mashing everything to a liquid. I then had Paul help May sit up so I could give her the antidote. I checked her pulse to feel it start to go back to normal causing me to sigh in relief, "She'll be fine, a little dizzy when she wakes up, but she'll be back to herself in no time."

Piplup chirped happily while Paul looked indifferent, "Thanks for the help Piplup, return," I said gratefully as I returned him to his pokeball.

I then stood up and yawned, "I really need to go to bed, I'm exhausted."

"How long exactly have you been awake?" Paul asked.

I looked at my poketch, "About forty-two hours," I said with a yawn.

Suddenly, I was swept off my feet bridal style causing me to blush, "To what do I owe this pleasure?" I spluttered.

"Don't expect it often Troublesome, I just feel generous tonight," Paul huffed though I could have sworn that I saw a light blush causing me to smile.

"Thanks," I murmured softly as I snuggled closer and fell asleep.

* * *

**_September 6th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

Ugh….where am I? I looked around to see that it was still dark and that the dark blobs seemed to form trees and bushes. It then came back to me in a quick flash that I was injected with poison causing me to sit up in fear. I then felt a wave of dizziness hit me almost causing me to lay back down. I also then realized this wasn't where I was attacked, did someone move me?

After recovering from the dizziness, I stood up remembering Timmy and the hooded figure. Crap! I need to see if Timmy's okay. I then ran up and into the tree by his dorm, quickly put on the infrared sunglasses, and looked inside. His room seemed untouched and I could see that Timmy's body heat was normal meaning he was safe.

I slumped back against the tree catching my breath. That was way too close. I noticed that the sun started to rise so I quickly left so I could get ready for classes. In between classes, I kept tabs on Timmy and the thing that bothered me was that no strange things have happened yet.

"Mason, what is the main point the author is trying to convey in his poem?" the teacher asked.

I inwardly sighed, guess thinking about Timmy will have to wait.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I was sleeping soundly until I heard someone typing a laptop and I felt something warm next to me. I opened my eyes to see Paul still in his sweatpants and undershirt from last night in my bed leaning against the backboard typing something on his laptop.

"I must be dreaming," I muttered sleepily causing Paul to notice I was awake.

"Why do you say that Troublesome?" he asked as he continued to type.

I blushed slightly and sat up giving him an 'are-you-serious' look, "Why exactly are you in my bed?"

"To keep an eye on you and made sure you slept in," he said still typing.

I then looked at the clock to see that it was 1:30 PM, "What the Hell!" I shouted as I looked at the clock in shock.

"You needed the sleep and to make sure you didn't sneak off and do something stupid, I decided to skip and keep an eye on you," he said gruffly shutting his laptop.

I smirked, "Rrrriiiiight, you know you could have called out one of my pokemon to watch me or did you feel the need that you couldn't be without me."

Paul scoffed, "You wish Troublesome."

My smirk grew bigger, "Uh huh, says the guy who could have sat anywhere, but decided to be in bed with me."

Paul stared straight ahead with a slight blush causing me to grin.

I then tapped a finger against my cheek in thought, "Is Paulie actually becoming a softie, just like a Teddiursa?" I asked teasingly.

Suddenly I was pushed back down with my wristed pinned, "Would you still say I'm a Teddiursa Troublesome?" Paul whispered huskily in my ear causing me to blush.

"No, you're still same grumpy Ursaring we all know and love," I huffed causing Paul to look at me with smirk before kissing me slowly.

"Good, then I'm doing my job," Paul said with a smirk as he sat back up and opened his laptop.

I then sat up, "Jerk," I muttered as I hit him on arm lightly before looking over to see what was on the screen. "What are you looking at?"

"While you were sleeping, I'm been monitoring May and the target Timmy through the school's security cameras," Paul explained.

"Speaking of May, did you tell the others what I told you?" I asked worried.

Paul rolled his eyes, "You really think I told them?"

"What, I didn't know what you would do, sometimes it's hard to figure you out," I said exasperated before calming down. "So what did the others say to you ditching?"

"I told them that I would keep an eye on you and tell them anything that I found out that seemed suspicious," Paul said as he shrugged his shoulders.

I looked at him with concern, "Would you have told them?" I asked quietly.

Paul sighed heavily, "Not in this case where you're trying to help keep May's cover, and besides, I'm not gonna be the asshole boyfriend to rat out my girlfriend."

I smiled and kissed his cheek before laying my head on his shoulder and watched the multiple security feeds on Paul's laptop. I then noticed in a slightly busy hallway that one kid who had a limp looking like he was determined.

"Wait a minute, that's the kid who knocked me over yesterday," I said urgently. "Can you pull up the feed?"

"Care to explain?" Paul asked while he did as I asked.

"So when I was looking at the security feed from the video of the attack here, I looked back before the fight and saw that May was fighting another person who fell off the roof meaning he would have gotten an injury for it. So then in the hall, both May and I noticed that the guy walked with a limp meaning he has to be the one May fought. Can you hack into the school's online records to see who this guy is?" I asked.

"Do you really need to ask Troublesome?" Paul huffed as he pulled up the school's records. "The kid's name is Mikey Arndt, says he's a sophomore and that he's from Johto, he transferred in this year."

"Is he in the database of criminals for PHPA?" I asked.

Paul typed on his laptop some more, "He's not in the system meaning he isn't deemed dangerous or he hasn't been caught."

Paul then switched back to the video feed showing Mikey getting a big bag from his locker, "I don't like that looks of that," I said concerned.

I then got out of bed and started to grab some clothes to change into, "Troublesome, what are you doing?"

"Changing, what else," I snapped as I walked into the closet to change, but left the door open a crack so I could still hear Paul.

"I can see that," he said sarcastically. "What I meant was what are you doing getting up?"

"Well, if this kid tried to bomb a locker, his next move will be worse and we need to protect May," I explained while changing.

"She can handle herself Troublesome," Paul huffed.

"I know that, but right now, she's facing a dangerous person with no back up what-so-ever and no one would know if she got hurt. That's why we need to keep an eye on her," I explained as I quickly snuck a throwing knife in my boot and grabbed a cropped black jacket to complete my ensemble of dark blue skinny jeans and a heather grey tank top.

I then came out to quickly brush my hair and find that Paul had left. I then put on the bungee belt and stick the infrared sunglasses on top on my head. I then went downstairs to grab a quick snack before Paul came down.

He came down a few minutes later and we ran toward the school, "Where are they?" I asked.

Paul then pressed some buttons on his poketch, "There's someone on the roof of the freshman dorm."

I nodded in understanding as we got to the building. I then took aim with the bungee belt and let it stick up top causing Paul to raise an eyebrow.

"It's a gadget Max invented, I'll explain where I got it later," I said quickly as I put an arm around him and was able to hoist both of us up.

"Guess this explains how you snuck into homeroom," Paul whispered as we watched we hid behind some vents.

We then peeked around the corner to see that Mikey had assembled a sniper rifle and was positioning it in place to aim at the academic building.

"Looks like he's ready to assassinate Timmy," I whispered worriedly.

"You know it's illegal to have guns on school grounds," I heard a familiar guy voice call.

I then looked to see Mason on the roof of the academic building.

* * *

(May's POV)

I looked down from the roof to see that our mystery assassin of sorts, who I later learned was named Mikey, was positioning a sniper rifle at the window of where Timmy was right now.

"So you're the one who keeps foiling my plans, guess I have to get rid of you," he said evilly as he pointed a handgun at me equipped with a silencer.

I frowned in annoyance, there was no way I could protect myself from a bullet without using my powers and causing suspicion. Suddenly I saw a blur of light on something shiny hit Mikey's hand causing him to yell in pain and drop the gun giving me time to jump to the other rooftop. Mikey recovered and then swung a fist at me. I dodged and returned a couple swift punches in return to numb his arm.

This caused him to panic giving me time to cuff his hands behind his back, "Looks like your killing days are over," I snapped.

He growled at me as I shoved him to kneel, I then pulled out a cell phone and called Steven, "You might want to come to the roof of the freshmen dorm, there's someone you might want to see."

I then hung up and looked at Mikey, "Why were you trying to kill Timmy?" I asked.

Mikey huffed, "Because Timmy's mom put my parents in prison for embezzling so I decided to take her son like she took my parents."

I remembered hearing that story on the news. Two employees at the company Timmy's mom runs were caught embezzling millions and were put in jail for at least thirty years.

"Is this the student causing trouble?" Steven asked causing me to turn around.

I nodded, "He wired Timmy's locker with a bomb, tried to murder Timmy with a knife while sleeping, and he was gonna try to kill him with a sniper rifle," I explained as I pointed to the gun behind me.

"Thanks so much May, I'll tell Timmy's parents at once," he said causing Mikey to look at me in shock.

"You're May Maple?!" he asked in shock.

I smirked, "Looks can be deceiving,' I said slyly before looking at Steven in confusion. "Did you tell Timmy's parents about what was happening?"

Steven shook his head, "No, I recently heard from Timmy's mom yesterday that she was the one responsible for the mysterious note. Apparently she heard that you were attending school here this year and she thought that you could figure out who was trying to harm Timmy. So she transferred him here knowing the attacker would follow and that you could stop him," Steven explained.

I nodded in understanding as Officer Jenny arrived to take charge of the situation. I then went into Steven's office to give a statement as the bell rang ending classes.

"So how was it being undercover?" Steven asked.

"It wasn't that bad, I've done worse," I said with a shrug. "Do you mind if I go? I haven't seen my friends in over a month and I'm pretty sure they'll kill me if I don't show up soon."

Steven smiled and nodded, "See you in classes tomorrow."

I nodded and left the academic building. I then saw a flash of bright light and turned to see something shiny on the ground. I walked over to it and saw that it was a throwing knife with a snowflake sketched on the end. I grinned knowing who would toss a knife like this. I quickly pocketed it and left for the house. I snuck my way in through my bedroom window and poked my head out the door to hear no one moving around.

I looked around to see that no one was home. I then decided to head toward the beach when I heard some vibrations from the ground coming from the direction of the beach. I ran there to see a machine had caught the gang in metal type tentacles.

"_I'll ask again where is May Maple_?" a voice from an intercom shouted.

"We don't know, we haven't seen her in a month and half!" Misty shouted in anger as she tried to escape.

"_You know where she is, now tell me_!" the voice shouted.

I sighed and then stepped out from my hiding space, "You know, if a person says they don't know where someone is, they don't know," I explained bored.

"_Who are you, do you know where May Maple is_?" the voice asked.

I smirked, "Why don't you come and find out," I said slyly as I gestured with my hand for them to come.

A metal tentacle then came toward me and I took a step to dodge before making a gesture with my hand as if I was pulling a sword out of the other. A sword of aura then appeared and I quickly ran up the arm to start slashing the arms that held the gang captive. I then landed behind the metal robot heaving a little as all that swiping took a lot of energy. The sword then disappeared and I created a bow and arrow instead with lightning attached to the tip. I took aim at a crack in the robot and fired. The arrow hit its mark causing sparks to appear from all over and shut the robot down while a person started to crawl out and run away.

I then summoned a Solar Beam to knock the dumb thing elsewhere, "Good riddance," I muttered as I saw that everyone was staring at me in shock.

"I think this belongs to you," I said to Dawn as I tossed the knife to her and she caught it quite easily causing everyone to stare at her in shock.

"Would someone explain to me what the heck is going on?!"Leaf said exasperated as she sat on the ground.

"What do you want explained first?" I asked.

"Just who the heck are you?" Misty asked annoyed and suspicious.

I smirked and took off the voice alterer, "I think you guys can figure that out for yourselves," I teased.

"Wait…..May! Why are you dressed as a guy?" Leaf spluttered.

"I had to go undercover and stop an assassination from happening within the school," I explained causing everyone, but Dawn and Paul, to go in an uproar.

I sighed and explained everything that happened calming them down slightly, but they were still peeved.

"So I'm guessing you're the one responsible for curing me of the poison," I said to Dawn. "So when did you figure out I was Mason."

"I pieced stuff together. Next time, don't direct a Frenzy Plant at me," she snapped. "After digging up on stuff and Paul catching on to me, we figured it out and decided to tail you this afternoon. Good thing we did."

I nodded and smirked, "So what's the story with that?" I asked gesturing to the knife in her hand.

"This, well…..ever since the fight last May, I decided that picking up an additional fighting skill wouldn't be that bad so I picked up throwing knifes," Dawn explained causing everyone to look at her in disbelief.

I then saw behind her that someone was trying to sneak up on us. Dawn took notice and threw the knife at them catching onto their shirt and pinning them to a nearby tree.

Dawn grinned at her work while everyone else looked in shock, "Does your mother know about this Troublesome?" Paul asked tiredly.

Dawn nodded, "I asked her permission before I started to train. She was hesitant at first, but she got used to the idea seeing how well I've been doing."

"This is just way too weird," Ash said in disbelief. "Dawn throws knives while May can summon swords, am I dreaming?"

Gary then walked up behind Ash and hit him on the upside of the head causing Ash to shout in pain, "No Ashy-Boy, I say that you're wide awake."

Suddenly I was it by Misty's mallet on the head, "That's for numbing up my arm," she snapped. "How did you do that anyways?"

"It's part of the training Maylene and I learned from Greta. A form of fighting that blocks your opponent's energy causing a temporary form of paralysis," I explained. "As you saw, it's pretty effect."

"And makes you feel like crap," Paul grunted.

"Hey May, did you really cut your hair or are you wearing a wig?" Leaf asked.

"I cut it, didn't have time to order a wig so I decided to cut it," I explained.

"Wow, looks like you're gonna look like a guy for a while then," Drew teased.

"Not necessarily grasshead," I said with a smirk.

I then sat on the ground and focused on my inner energy as if ready to transform like in receiving power from Arceus. But I focused it on the part where the only part of me that transforms is my hair. I then felt hair touch my neck and continue down my back.

I opened my eyes to see that my hair had grown a lot long that expected like three times as long causing me to sigh, "Great, now I look like freakin' Rapunzel."

I then formed an aura knife and cut my hair so that it reached mid back, I could go have it styled later.

"Well that was plain out weird to watch," Misty commented. "What are you gonna do with the access hair?"

I grinned and snapped my fingers for a flame to appear and set the cut off hair on fire, "You have some issues to work out," Gary said tiredly.

"Well how else am I supposed to get rid of it, I don't want to have it lying around so that an evil scientist can make clones," I explained.

They looked at me with 'are-you-serious' looks, "What, a mad scientist did try to make evil clones of me one time, ask Max."

They shook their heads, "Well, now that you're back, I say that we should go shopping," Dawn said excitedly.

"No," everyone said flatly.

"I'll go," I said causing Dawn to look thrilled, but everyone else to look at me like I was crazy.

"You want a death wish?" Misty asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I need to get some stuff anyways. Besides, it'll be fun."

"Then it's settled, we girls can go shopping while we will let the guys stay here," Dawn stated.

"Thank goodness," Gary muttered as everyone started to walk up toward the house though Drew stayed put.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," I shouted before I turned to face Drew. "You okay?"

He then hugged me, "I missed you."

I smiled softly as I hugged him back, "I missed you too."

We kissed and then I looked at Drew to see that he looked a little hurt causing me to sigh, "Are you mad at me that I didn't tell you what I was doing?"

He sighed and looked down, "A little, I can understand why you didn't, but it still hurt."

I hugged him again, "I'm sorry, but Steven asked me not to tell you, otherwise I would have."

"I know," Drew said with a small grin as he took my hand. "Thank you though for keeping your promise."

I smiled and kissed him again, "I knew that you want to see me when I finished training."

"Too bad for the missions though," Drew said tiredly.

I nodded, "At least I'm back, I hope. I really just want to hang with you guys for a while."

Drew smirked and flicked his hair, "Good because otherwise I would have held you hostage."

I rolled my eyes, "Uh huh."

Suddenly I felt myself being swept off my feet, "I wasn't kidding airhead."

I chuckled as Drew kissed me again before we walked hand and hand up to the house.


	4. Enforced Silence

**_September 7th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

"You can't be serious!" Dawn screeched.

I winced at her high pitch and braced myself for what was to come. It was technically my first day as a senior and when I came downstairs to get something to eat, Dawn asked for my school schedule.

"We don't have any classes with you at all, you're not even in coordinating," she complained loudly causing everyone to come downstairs and investigate as to what Dawn was screeching about.

"Dawn, what are you freaking out about now? Did you stain your jacket?" Leaf asked tiredly.

Dawn glared at her for the jab, "No, I'm looking at May's schedule and we don't have any classes with her."

This caused everyone to look at my schedule, "Looks like you have Physics and Calc. with me though," Drew commented.

"Figures the only person May does have a few classes with is you. Steven frickin' rigged this," Dawn huffed as she crossed her arms and plopped down into a chair.

I rolled my eyes at her behavior, "Calm down Dawn, it's just for the first half of the year."

"But come on, its senior year. We're supposed to all share classes and hang out, not be in separate classes and barely see you," Dawn retorted.

I sighed, "Look, Steven asked me to help in the Pokemon Center since Brock has taken time off so he can stay with Lucy and his newborn son. Besides, it'll be a good experience for me."

Dawn still pouted but stayed quiet as she ate her breakfast. We then left for the school causing me to feel a little anxious. Drew looked at me with concern and grabbed my hand to stop us from walking.

"We'll catch up with you guys," Drew hollered.

Everyone nodded and continued to head toward the school, "You okay?" Drew asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm okay, just a little nervous."

Drew raised an eyebrow, "What are you nervous about?"

I sighed, "You know what, it's nothing. Come on, we should get to homeroom."

I took a step forward only to be stopped by Drew grabbing my arm, "May, I can sense that you're agitated. Just tell me what's bothering you."

I paused a moment, "I guess I'm just a bit nervous about today. You know…..being me and all and then with what happened in May. I'm just worried I'll get a lot of unwanted attention."

Drew walked up to me and pulled me into a hug, "You'll be fine. Besides, you've handled tougher situations than this. It'll be a piece of cake for you," he teased.

I gave a small laugh, "I guess you're right, I'm probably worrying for nothing," I said with a small smile as I kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

Drew smirked playfully, "You need to do it right," he said before he kissed me.

I rolled my eyes as we broke apart, "Annoying smirking grasshead," I muttered.

Drew flicked his hair fringe, "You still love me anyways."

"You're lucky that I do," I teased.

We both laughed and continued making our way to homeroom making it just as the bell rang.

"Finally, we thought you'd never make it," Misty teased.

I rolled my eyes as the teacher started to take attendance. I then noticed that my poketch was blinking with a text message from Max asking if we could hang out later today. I smiled softly to myself, it's been a long time since we've done a brother-sister outing of sorts and I haven't seen the geek in almost two months.

I quickly sent back a reply asking where he wanted to meet up and I felt Drew looking over my shoulder, "Who texted you?"

"Max, he wants to hang out later today," I explained. "He probably also wants to show me this new gadget of sorts that he's been working recently."

"Do you know what it is?" Misty asked.

I shook my head, "It's impossible to know what Max will invent, you've seen his gadgets."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "They've helped me out quite a bit the past few days. I wonder what he's invented over the summer?"

"A lot, I should know, he made me test them all out," I said tiredly.

The bell rang and we split for our next class. Thankfully, the first day was turning out quite easier than I thought. I guess I was really overreacting in thinking I would get a lot of unwanted attention. When it was time for lunch, Nurse Joy said that I could take a twenty minute break to go to the cafeteria and eat.

I grabbed my food and decided to sit in the courtyard. As I started munching on my sandwich, I saw the drama queens talking to the boys. They looked really uncomfortable and peeved. I sighed as I set my lunch down and decided to help them out.

"So Drewy, do you want to see a movie tonight?" Brandi asked sweetly as I walked up to them.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't," I answered as I jutted out a hip and crossed my arms.

"Who are you newbie?" Francesca asked bored.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Did your IQ drop 20 over the summer or you just this dumb?"

"Listen here bitch, you stay away from my Drewy," Brandi snapped.

I chuckled, "Oh really, now I would want to stay away from my own boyfriend."

Brandi giggled with a few snorts, "And you call me dumb, Drew is single right now after Linnea Mason dumped him."

"Who said she dumped him?" I said cryptically. "Do mash potatoes and salad dressing ring a bell?"

Melina eyes widened, "Uh Brandi, we might have a problem."

The rest of the girls' eyes widened as I grinned smugly, "You're Linnea Mason?" Veronica asked suspiciously.

"It's the other way around, Linnea Mason was me. Now if you don't mind, leave the guys alone or I'll report to my friends you were pestering them," I said curtly.

"You don't scare me," Brandi snapped.

I raised an eyebrow and started to walk towards her, "I know eight forms of martial arts. I know every possible way to kill someone and hide their body so that they are never found and I can make your life miserable for the rest of the year without being caught," I threatened darkly causing the girls to squirm. "Now don't you dare pester them during their free period or you'll wind up being tortured by me for the rest of the year."

"You can't threaten us," Francesca snapped.

I chuckled, "Can't I, as you may notice, there is no way you can prove that I did and no one would believe you even if you told them," I pointed out. "Now are you gonna leave the easy way or the hard way?"

Veronica, Melina, and Francesca looked at me nervously while Brandi glared before she stomped off and the girls ran after her.

"Don't you think that was a little bit harsh?" Ash asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Sometimes a girl has to act like a bitch to get her point across. Hopefully they'll leave you alone now."

"Multiple ways to kill someone and hide their bodies, seriously May," Drew asked.

"You learn things when you're a spy of sorts. You learn multiple forms of torture more or less by experience and you also see death and murder," I said with a sigh.

"So out of curiosity, how would you commit a murder?" Ash asked causing the guys to stare at him incredulously. "What? I'm curious?"

"It's fine Ash, it is a point that everyone is capable of murder, but it is how strong your will and humanity are that determine whether you will do it or not. As for how I would murder someone, definitely untraceable poison, then burn the body and spread the ashes into the ocean. As the bad guy in Murders Unwritten said, 'no body, no murder'," I said thoughtfully.

The guys just stared at me, "What, every person tries to come up with the perfect murder. That doesn't mean it'll be carried out," I said exasperated.

"True I guess, I figured that the perfect murder would be poisoning food," Ash said thoughtfully.

"You would involve food with murder Ashy-boy," Gary said tiredly.

My poketch then beeped signaling my lunch break was over causing me to groan, "Great, I didn't even get to finish my lunch," I whined as I walked back to my bench to toss my lunch in the garbage and started to head back to the Pokemon Center. "See ya later guys."

Thankfully the rest of the day flew by quickly and soon school was over. I quickly ran back to the house to drop off my stuff and then grabbed Gardevoir's pokeball to have her teleport me to Mauville City. I returned her to her pokeball and spotted Max on a park bench.

"Hey Max," I called as I walked up and hugged him.

"Hey May, long time no see," Max said cheerfully.

"I'll say, it's almost been two months since I've seen you," I said amazed. "So whatcha wanna do?"

Max then grabbed a box next to him which revealed to a chess set, "Seriously Max, you want to play chess?" I asked surprised.

Max then looked at me seriously, "I need to talk to you about a few things first and we need privacy."

I nodded in understanding as we walked to a table a little bit a ways into the park, "What do you have to tell me?" I asked as I put pieces at their starting positions.

Max sighed, "Hunter J escaped from prison two days ago."

I looked at him in surprise as I moved a pawn forward, "Okay, has PHPA tracked her down yet?"

"May, no one knows she's escaped," Max said bluntly as he studied the board before making his move.

I looked at him confused, "How do you know she's escaped, but no one else does? That doesn't make any sense."

Max frowned, "From what I could figure out, she has someone impersonating her probably under threat."

I placed my hand on Max's clenched fist, "Max, did she contact you?" I asked gently.

He relaxed slightly at my touch and sighed, "She contacted me this morning, she ordered me to get the Ropex formula or she'll kill Drew and them."

I froze, "She's insane…..she can't be serious?!"

"But she is," Max said sadly as he pulled out a small tablet and turned it on to show live feed of the gang.

"Wait, she said not to tell anyone right. So if I'm not there and with you, doesn't that compromise things?" I asked.

Max grinned, "I planted holograms of us doing stuff around the city," he said proudly before looking serious. "But it won't last long, you will be killed as well if I don't come through."

I sighed, "I guess this is another Maple duo mission, but why did she pick you to do it?"

"Because I have an idea of where the formula is," Max said sadly.

I stared at him wide eyed, "How….but that's impossible, we've never seen it, we've only heard rumors of it."

Max sighed, "Sometimes for a few companies, I do work in helping with stabilizing formulas and doing technological research. The formula came with a note from a think tank asking that it needed to solved, I didn't know what it was at the time," he explained.

"So how does the formula work?" I asked as I took one of Max's pawns.

"The formula, before I cracked it a year or so ago, was the start of a gene of sorts, a mutation so-to-speak. After finally stabilizing it, I discovered that if this gene infects pokemon, it will fill them with a killer instinct and attack anyone or anything. Eventually the gene will overtake the pokemon and kill it from too much stress," Max sighed.

I stared at him with worry, "Please tell me you didn't infect a pokemon with it."

Max frowned at me, "I'm not stupid May, the only way I discovered this was by taking cells from some pokemon and then did the implanting of the gene under a microscope. Anyway, to get back to the point, the results were not pretty and after discovering this, I told the company to destroy it, but I guess they didn't."

"But why would Hunter J want this, it doesn't make sense," I said tiredly. "She deals in stealing pokemon for money, not viruses."

"My guess is that a client of hers wants it, she just wants us to do the dirty work," Max said bitterly as he took one of my bishop's.

"Where is the formula now?" I asked.

Max gave me a stern glare, "You're not getting it May, you have to stay out of this."

"Then why tell me in the first place, you can't expect me to know and do nothing," I retorted angrily.

"It's too risky, Hunter J could catch on and kill anyone of you," Max snapped.

"Max, how are you going to get it? You aren't someone who can sneak into a building and steal something, you need help," I pointed out.

"You know what, I never should have told you," Max muttered bitterly.

"But you did and I'm going to do something about it," I snapped. "Tell me where it is."

"May…I can't, I don't want you to risk you being killed," Max said sadly trying to not cry.

I walked over and sat next to him before pulling him into a hug, "We'll figure this out and this time, we aren't alone, we have back up."

"But May….," Max sobbed.

"No buts, I've risked my life too many times to count before, this will be no different," I said firmly.

Max hugged me back tightly, "I hope this ends okay."

"Don't worry it will," I said determined. No way is she gonna get away with this.

"Now that the bad news has been given, how about some good news for a change?" Max chirped as he handed me what looked like a compact.

I took it and looked confused, "Meet the gadget that will make your life that much easier," Max grinned.

I looked at him weirdly as I opened it up, it looked like a tiny computer, "You gave me a tiny computer?" I asked.

"Yes, one that can change your appearance with disguises, help identify any crime scene clues, hooks up to my computer data base, and a bunch of other handy features," Max explained proudly.

I went through the disguises and saw my mission outfit, I clicked a button and soon was dressed in it.

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm impressed," I said as I changed back. "This'll make changing a whole lot easier."

"Also, I installed a gadget cabinet of sorts in the house. Basically, it's a place where gadgets can appear to help you guys out," Max explained. "Dawn's already discovered it."

I nodded, "Well, let's finish our game and then go eat so that Hunter J doesn't catch on."

In the end, Max won. Then again, it's hard to win against a genius. We then walked into the bathroom and took over for our holograms before going out to eat.

We just finished when my 'compowder', as Max called it, beeped. I opened it to see that it was an alert of someone wreaking havoc at Lilycove City's Mall.

"Well Dawn's not gonna be happy," I said tiredly as I switched appearances, man I love this feature.

"What's up?" Max asked.

"Apparently someone is attacking the Lilycove Mall," I said as I stood up and put money on the table before hugging Max. "See you later."

I then ran outside and called out Gardevoir telling her to teleport me to the mall. She did so and I arrived on the roof. I ran to the skyline and looked down to see five foot robots wreaking havoc and the gang trying to take control of the situation.

I then swung myself down and kicked a robot over, "About time you showed up," Leaf called as she dodged a swinging arm.

"I take it you're peeved," I asked Dawn as I dodged a limb.

"I'm pissed, no one destroys a mall and gets away with it!" Dawn screeched as she jabbed a knife into a robot causing sparks to appear.

"No need to get violent Troublesome," Paul muttered.

"I have every right," Dawn retorted as she kept throwing knifes hoping that they would penetrate the armor.

I ran up to the one Dawn stabbed and metal-bent a hole to peer inside. I hooked my compowder to it so I could investigate how this hunk of junk worked. After a minute, the compowder showed that these things were being controlled by a signal that was nearby.

"What are you doing?" Misty asked.

"Trying to figure out where the robot's command signal is coming from," I said as I raised my compowder up and the beeping became more frequent.

I lowered it to see that the signal was coming from the roof, "Are you kidding me, I was just up there," I muttered in annoyance as I quickly slid up there from the grappling feature on my poketch.

After landing, I continued to trace the signal and it appeared to be coming from one of the panels. I walked up to it and saw that it wasn't as transparent as the others.

Time to override this thing, I summoned a streak of lightning and fried the circuits. Sparks appeared and I heard someone groan behind me. I turned around to see a guy in a trench coat trying to run away. I quickly cut him off and delivered a few short jabs to his legs to paralyze him.

"Any particular reason you have it out against malls?" I asked as I dragged him to the hole in the skylight and prepared to lower us down.

"Malls need to be shut down, they are a waste of money and bad for business," he muttered in annoyance.

I rolled my eyes as I lowered us down, I looked around to see robots keeled over and shut off.

"Who's the creep?" Leaf asked.

"The bad guy du jour," I said as I let him slump on the floor. "Something about malls being evil, a waste of money, and bad for business."

"It's true, malls are u…," the guy started to argue, but shut up when a knife appeared in his face.

"You say one more word and you'll wind up slashed," Dawn threatened.

The guy 'eeped' and then fainted causing Dawn to sigh, "Good riddance," she muttered as she put her knife away causing the rest of us to sweat drop.

Officer Jenny then arrived and took over the situation allowing us to head back to the house, "So how was hanging out with Max?" Misty asked.

"It was good, he's been busy lately," I said not lying though Drew gave a funny look.

He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by my compowder going off. I pulled it out to see that a kidnapping was in progress.

"So much as for doing homework," I muttered tiredly. "I'll catch you guys later."

Before they could say anything, I activated my rocket skates and zoomed to the area of interest. When I arrived, I saw that men with masks were carrying the body of Professor Cozmo. I quickly ran up to one of the kidnappers and kicked him in the face causing him to stumble back in pain. The other guy then placed Professor Cozmo on the ground before throwing a fist. I dodged and retorted with a roundhouse kick to his face causing him to back up in pain.

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind and lifted off the ground, "I don't think so," I snapped as I kicked him hard in the shin with my heel causing him to let me go.

I then pressed a pressure point on the side of his neck causing him to slump down unconscious. I suddenly felt the other guys' presence as he tried to sneak up on me, but I elbowed him in the gut and also pressed on a pressure point for him to keel over.

I then ran over to Professor Cozmo and took off the sack on his head, "Professor, are you alright?"

"I am now, thanks May," he said greatly as he stood up and brushed off any dirt from his clothes.

"Any particular reason why they wanted to kidnap you?" I asked.

He shook his head, "But then again, when you have a lot of knowledge in a certain field, you become a target for someone."

"True," I agreed as Officer Jenny arrived.

"If I get one more call of a problem, I might just scream," Officer Jenny sighed.

"I'm with ya Jenny, both are unconscious and ready to be arrested," I said with a smile.

She smiled back, "At least you make things easier for me to just do pickups."

I then said goodbye to both and decided to skate to the park. I needed time to figure out what the game plan should be for the current situation Max was in and I couldn't necessarily do that with the gang asking questions. After contemplating for an hour, I had a plan in mind that was going to be rather difficult and painful to execute, but we have no choice. I then reverted back to my clothes from earlier and walked back to the dorm.

Suddenly I heard a pokemon scream and I ran over to investigate. When I got there, I covered my mouth in shock to see that it was Glaceon. She was battered, bloody, and bruised whimpering in pain.

I then saw a recorder next to her and played it, "_We're not as stupid as you and your brother perceive. This is a warning that you play by our rules or more suffering will occur_."

I gently gathered Glaceon in my arms and comforted her, "Don't worry, they'll pay for what they did to you."

I quickly put her inside her pokeball and changed into my mission outfit to avoid explaining to everyone why I had blood on my clothes.

When I got back, I saw that everyone was watching a movie, "Hey, we're watching the first Jerry Votter movie, you wanna watch?" Misty asked.

"I wish, but I still have a lot of homework to make up," I said truthfully trying to remain as calm as I could. "You guys want popcorn, I was gonna make some."

"Sure, better make two," Leaf called.

I nodded in acknowledgement and went into the kitchen. I popped up butter lovers and then made some cinnamon sugar popcorn. As I added the cinnamon, I discreetly added sleep powder into it so that the gang would fall asleep sooner than usual.

"Here ya go," I announced as I handed over the two bowls of popcorn.

"Thanks May, have fun doing homework," Leaf called.

I nodded and quickly went back into the kitchen to grab everything I would need to heal Glaceon. I slowly went to my room before I started to run around grabbing towels and hot water. I then called out Glaceon who started to whimper.

"Ssshhhh, I know you're in pain, but try to stay quiet," I begged her feeling extremely guilty in 'shushing' her.

I then grabbed a vile of sleeping powder and dusted a little on her so that she fell asleep before I started to clean her up. After a couple stitches and healing sessions, she was looking a lot better. I then left her to rest as I tiptoed downstairs to see if everyone was asleep. I peeked into the room to see that everyone was sleeping soundly. I then walked back upstairs to get my plan in motion. After everything was prepped, I left the house invisible while a recording hologram of me was doing homework.

After running off school grounds, the invisibility wore off, "Time to visit the Mole."

* * *

**_September 8th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Drew's POV)

I woke up refreshed and noticed that I feel asleep on the couch. I then looked around and noticed that everyone had fallin' asleep from sitting here last night.

"Guess we all must have been more tired than we thought," I said groggily as I stretched.

I then saw the bowl of cinnamon sugar popcorn, I grabbed a handful to eat, but then noticed that there was a slight blue tinge to the popcorn causing me frown, did May drug us?

I noticed that everyone else was starting to wake up so I quickly threw away the remaining popcorn. I looked at the clock to see that it was 6:45 giving everyone enough time to get ready for classes.

"Guess we were all more tired than we thought," Ash yawned as I walked back into the living room. "Is there any more of that cinnamon sugar popcorn?"

"You would eat that for breakfast," Gary muttered sleepily.

I went upstairs and decided to talk to May and see if she was still asleep. I knocked and when I heard nothing, I slowly peeked in to see her slumped over her desk still sleeping.

"Hey airhead, it's time to wake up," I whispered as I gently shook her awake.

"Wha….what?" she muttered sleepily as she looked around and then looked at me.

"It's 6:50," I said gesturing to her beside alarm clock.

She looked and then slumped back over the desk, "I don't want to get up," she whined.

"May….," I said hesitantly. "About the popcorn…..?"

She looked at me still slouching, but her eyes were alert and worried, "Oh the cinnamon sugar popcorn, it's a recipe that my mom used to make," she said cheerfully.

"_You noticed didn't you_," she said in my mind as she said the previous comment aloud.

"Well it's really good," I said with a smirk. "_What's with talking with telepathy_?"

"I'll give you the recipe later," she said with a grin. "_We have to, they're watching our every move_."

"Did you have any trouble with the calculus homework last night?" I asked. "_May, what is going on_?"

Her eyes started to water, "Yeah, I couldn't figure out how to do questions 19 and 27," she said gesturing to the open book on her desk.

I nodded and pretended to help her while we still communicated telepathically, "_I can't go into details because even talking like this isn't safe, I shouldn't even be near you guys for your safety_."

I kept a straight face, "_May…._"

"_They beat up Glaceon because Max told me what was going on and I think doing 'this' raises suspicion_," she said tiredly.

"_May, what did you do last night, who's behind this_?" I asked bluntly.

She mentally sighed, "_I'll explain later in one way or another_," she said with a nod.

She then turned to face me and smile, "Thanks for the help, I get it now."

"No problem," I said as I leaned down to kiss her.

I could sense that she needed to lean on someone because she felt slightly better after I kissed her, what trouble could she and Max be in?

* * *

(May's POV)

I watched as Drew left my room so that I could get ready for classes. I then got a beep on my compowder to see a text from Nurse Joy saying that I would be helping in the Lilycove City Pokemon Center all day due to overflow.

"Thank you Arceus," I sighed in relief.

This helped immensely because it would keep my distance from the gang and cause fewer problems.

Suddenly Gardevoir appeared out of her pokeball, "_Max needs to talk to you_," she said.

I nodded and smiled, "You're right Gardevoir, I should be getting ready," I said aloud to avoid suspicion.

I quickly grabbed some clothes and a few towels before recalling her and walked to one of the bathrooms on the girl's end. I put my stuff down and started the shower before calling out Gardevoir. Then Max and Kirlia appeared and we held our hands in a circle to create a telepathic link.

"_May do you know what you did_?" Max asked nervously.

I nodded, "_We have no choice, now we both know the formula and they aren't going to get it from us since I took it away and destroyed_," I stated firmly.

"_How though, they have leverage, the only way to avoid this is if we died_," Max said exasperatedly.

"_Well, we can't pull a fake death. We already put the gang through that once, we can't do it again. We'll just have to go for the next best thing_," I said with a sigh.

"_We don't have any choice do we_?" Max asked sadly.

I shook my head, "_We don't, I'll have it arranged by this afternoon, come to my room when you get a message from me_."

"_What about Drew and them_?" Max asked.

I mentally sighed, "_It'll be up to them to save us and take down Hunter J_."

"_We went along with this because we know you two needed the secrecy. Now tell us what you're planning to do_," Gardevoir said angrily.

I looked at Max before looking at her, "_It's best that you don't know_."

"_May….._," she argued.

"_You're just gonna have to just trust me_," I said tiredly before looking at Max. "_You should go before Hunter J gets suspicious_."

Max nodded and then teleported out with Kirlia while I returned Gardevoir to her pokeball. I then got ready and grabbed my doctors' coat before going downstairs.

"You finally decide to emerge," Leaf commented. "What's with looking like you belong in a lab?"

"Dress code policy," I said quickly as I popped a bagel in the toaster oven.

"For what, working the Pokemon Center?" Misty asked.

I nodded, "I don't make the rules, I just follow them."

Drew smirked, "Since when do you follow rules?"

I raised an eyebrow gave him a 'you-really-want-to-challenge-me-right-now' look causing him to smirk bigger.

"Annoying grasshead," I muttered under my breath as my bagel popped up.

"Are you gonna wear that to class?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

I shook my head, "I'm not actually going to class today, the Pokemon Center is really busy today and they need my help," I explained as I put cream cheese on my bagel.

"Which center?" Drew asked.

I snuck a glare at him at him for him to reciprocate it, "_I'm not letting off the hook that easily_," he said annoyed.

"The city one," I said with a slight snap.

"Well, have fun with that, we'll see ya later," Leaf said as everyone gathered their stuff.

We then left and Drew stayed by my side as we walked to campus, "_When I said that me keeping my distance from you guys was a life or death matter, I wasn't joking_," I snapped.

"_Well too bad May because I care about you too much in order to let you be by yourself, you have a tendency to get into life threatening situations_," Drew retorted.

I sighed, "_Look, if I say one thing as to what this is about, will you keep your distance til later_?"

"Yes," Drew said as we continued to walk.

"_Ropex Formula_," I said bluntly.

I felt Drew's aura jolt, but he kept a straight face, "_That's what this is about? Who wants it, May, who is threatening you_?"

"_Ah ah ah, you said you would keep your distance_," I pointed out.

"_Damn it May, who is threatening you, this is serious_," Drew snapped.

"_Someone who is there but isn't_," I said as we entered the main campus.

"Try to avoid trouble," I said sweetly as I kissed his cheek before I started walking toward downtown.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

I stood there and watched her leave the school. May, why aren't you saying anything?

I shook my head in frustration as I started walking toward homeroom. I sat down and must have looked upset because everyone was looking at me in concern.

"Dude, what's up with you?" Gary asked.

"Nothing, just wishing it was the weekend already," I lied.

I knew they didn't believe me, but dropped it til the bell rang and we were walking down the hall.

"Drew, what's going on? Does it have to do with May?" Dawn asked as she grabbed my arm to stop me.

I nodded, "People are watching us so act natural," I said as I started typing buttons on my poketch.

They stared at me like I was crazy as I walked to a point where there was a blind spot between security cameras. I then quickly typed an abbreviated a message telling them what May told me and showed it to them.

"We have to help her," Leaf said determined.

"But how though, she's worried that if she'll tell us, she'll put us in danger," Misty said frustrated.

"She said she'd tell me later as to what was going on, one way or another," I said causing Dawn to look concerned.

"Are those her exact words?" she asked.

I nodded, "What's the deal Troublesome?" Paul grunted.

"I don't like those words, 'one way or another', she's gonna do something drastic," Dawn said worriedly.

We looked at her with frowns, "How do you know that?" I asked her.

"I have a gut feeling," Dawn said determined. "Think about it, whenever a threat comes around, May does the most drastic thing she can do with the chance she'll come out unscathed. This situation is no different than the one where she faked her death."

"Since when do you go on a gut feeling, we never do that," Leaf pointed out.

"You do have a point, but someone once said, 'if you have a gut feeling about something, follow it because in the end, you could save someone's life'," Dawn stated.

This caused us to pause knowing that May was the one who said that and her words had been proven true before.

"We'll check on her when we have lunch period. In the meantime, we should get to class before the bell rings," Misty said as the warning bell signaled.

We nodded and then broke off to go to class. Throughout the whole time, I couldn't stop thinking about May. From what she said and what Dawn pointed out, it caused me to worry greatly. Finally the bell rang ending fourth period and the guys and I were waiting for the girls at the front of the school.

"As anyone heard anything from May?" Dawn asked as we began walking to the Pokemon Center.

We shook our heads, "I tried texting her a few times, but she hasn't responded," she said worried.

"Troublesome, she said that the Pokemon Center was super busy, she probably didn't have time to respond," Paul said gruffly.

"Still though….," Dawn said quietly.

We finally made it and saw Nurse Joy sitting at the front desk, "Hi Nurse Joy is May around?" Misty asked.

Nurse Joy shook her head, "Since she helped so much to help with the overflow, I let her go early after she finished up patching two badly beaten up pokemon," she said sadly. "That Lucario and Blaziken were beaten up badly."

We stared at her in concern, "Can we see them?" I asked urgently.

She nodded and motioned for us to follow her before she motioned us to a viewing window.

Dawn covered her mouth and gasped at the sight, "Oh my Mew!"

We all stared in shock, both looked in terrible condition in spite of being patched up. I then looked to the side to notice that Glaceon was also in the room.

We walked in causing the pokemon to wake up, "What happened?" I asked as I walked to Lucario.

"We were taken without warning and our captors beat us saying that May would give in to their commands if she saw us beaten up," Lucario strained to say.

"Do you know who's behind this?" I asked.

They shook their heads, "We were beaten by henchmen…..while the leader…..ordered it," Blaziken said before falling back asleep.

"Do you know where May is?" I asked quickly.

Lucario gave me a pained look, "She left to….."

He then fell asleep leaving us worried. Suddenly Nurse Joy came into the room, "You guys have a video call from Lance."

We nodded and left for the video phone in a backroom, "How'd you find us?" Gary asked.

"_We tracked you through your poketches_," Lance said quickly. "_There's been a break in at a pharmaceutical research facility that we need you to investigate_."

"What was taken?" Leaf asked.

"_A vial of XSC39_," Lance reported.

"Oh my!" Nurse Joy said surprised.

We turned around to see her looked unnerved, "What's wrong Nurse Joy?" Dawn asked.

"I've heard of that, it's an anesthesia drug in the works, but it hasn't passed government standards due to the high risk of anyone being put into a coma when injected with it," she explained looking worried. "But why would she…?"

I froze and had a very bad feeling about this, "Nurse Joy, what are you talking about?" Misty asked concerned.

"I don't understand, she asked me of all the anesthesia drugs that were used in medical emergencies because she needed to do research for a project of hers, but why would she steal a coma inducing drug," Nurse Joy muttered nervously.

"Nurse Joy, who?" I asked loudly.

"May, she said she wanted to know the effects of anesthesia on humans for future medical purposes in case of emergencies, but I told her the risks were too great for the drug to be safe to use," Nurse said sadly.

I then felt a jab in my heart causing me to clutch it from the sudden pain. I then knew that something bad had happened to May. I tried to call her on her poketch but got no response. I then started tapping buttons to get her poketch id code to track it by GPS, it showed that she was at the house. I then ran out of the room and booked it toward the house.

"Drew, what's going on?" Paul shouted as everyone ran behind me.

"I have a really bad feeling that May is in trouble," I said quickly as we continued to run.

"How do you know that?" Dawn panted.

"You could say we have some sort of special emotional connection," I explained as we got to school.

We continued to run as we got to the house, I then took a look at my poketch to see that May's signal was coming from her room. I then sprinted upstairs taking two steps at a time and opened the door to her room. May was lying on the floor as if she fell with a syringe a couple inches away from her hand. I then noticed that Max was also there lying face down on her bed.

"Oh my Mew!" Dawn cried in a whisper. "What is going on?!"


	5. The Lake Guardians Return

**_September 8th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Drew's POV)

I quickly rushed over to May and tried to feel a pulse. It was there, but very faint.

"May's still alive, but barely," I reported.

"Max is the same," Misty called.

Dawn picked up the syringe with a Kleenex with tears in her eyes, "Why did she do this? We knew she was in trouble, but did she have to be this drastic?" Dawn whimpered.

Suddenly there was an explosion causing us to hit the back wall as a mechanical arm appeared grabbing May and Max.

"No!" I shouted as I saw them taken outside where they were placed into an armored car.

"The prizes have been secured," a man reported in to a walkie-talkie.

"Like hell!" Dawn shouted as she threw a knife at him slashing his arm causing him to drop the walkie-talkie.

"You bitch," the man yelled as he threw a pokeball revealing a Skarmory before grasping his arm in pain. "Take her down with Swift!"

Swift started making its way to Dawn, but was stopped as Paul stepped in front of Dawn protectively and summoned Elective to use Protect, "I dare you to try that again," he threatened venomously as he switched pokemon for Magmortar. "Use Flamethrower."

Flamethrower hit Skarmory causing it to faint, "Go Now!" the man shouted as he quickly jumped into the truck while recalling Skarmory.

The truck then raced off, "If he thinks he can get away, he's got another thing coming," I said angrily as I grabbed a pokeball. "Flygon, let's go."

"Fly," he shouted as I got on him and raced after the truck.

Soon Ash, Dawn, Gary called out Charizard, Togekiss, and Arcanine and followed me as we tried to chase after the truck.

Soon they released a bunch of Golbat and Metang causing us to be surrounded.

"We'll handle them, you guys go ahead," Misty shouted.

Paul, Dawn, and I nodded as the others stayed behind to deal with them while we continued after the truck. Suddenly a Salamence appeared and attacked us with Hyperbeam.

"Great," Dawn muttered as she ordered Togekiss on the ground so she and Paul could get off. "Keep going Drew, we'll take care of this angry lizard."

She ordered Togekiss to use Aura Sphere as Paul called out Elective. I ordered Flygon to chase the truck and use Hyperbeam. The car then crashed into a tree forcing it to stop. Soon the man and others came out and called out Golbat. I called out Roserade and Absol and ordered them to use Magical Leaf and Razor Wind.

After knocking out the Pokemon, the grunts were then held in place by thick vines that came from the ground.

"Great timing," I called as I turned around to see that Paul had ordered Torterra to use Frenzy Plant.

Torterra then dropped them and the Frenzy Plant vanished as the others came up. I walked up to the man gripped the collar of his shirt, "Why did you take her and who sent you!" I shouted.

The man groggily cackled at me causing me to get mad and shake, "Tell me!"

"Drew stop!" Gary yelled as Paul ripped the guy from me.

"You need to have control, don't let him get to you," Paul advised as he started to tie up the thugs.

"May and Max are a bit battered from that crash," Leaf called causing me to run to them and start analyzing May's aura.

I sighed in relief, "She's still here, but very weak," I said as I quickly scanned Max. "Same for Max as well."

"Well we can't go back to the house, it's obviously not safe," Misty said. "So where are we going to go?"

"We could take her to the bungalow," Dawn suggested.

"That's not safe either. If they could invade school grounds, they would have no trouble kidnapping them from there," Gary argued.

"Then where should we go?" Leaf asked.

"We'll take them to PHPA headquarters, we have no other places that have better security," I said as I started to carry May.

"But how will we get there?" Gary asked. "Lance obviously won't help."

"_Perhaps I can_," a familiar voice said causing us to turn around.

I smiled softly in seeing Gardevoir, "_I felt unease when May and her brother were talking early this morning so I called for some help_."

We then noticed a figure behind her and looked in surprise, "Clair?"

"We'll put them in the PHPA infirmary, there's too much security for anyone to attack them," she said sternly.

"What about Lance, he won't be happy about it," Misty pointed out.

"He'll have to deal with it. In the meantime, we'll collect May and Max's pokemon as well," she said before looking at Gardevoir. "Can you find everyone and teleport them to where I'm thinking?"

Gardevoir nodded and teleported out. Clair then helped us get May and Max to the PHPA infirmary where we were currently waiting for the test results of both of them.

"You mind telling me what's going on?" Clair asked as we watched May getting tested.

I sighed, "We don't really know. Before May took the drug, she told me this had to do with the Ropex Formula."

Clair's eyes widened, "That's was this is about? Sweet Arceus we are screwed. If anyone gets their hands on it…."

"Clair, what exactly is the Ropex Formula?" Leaf asked. "We've heard it's dangerous because it causes a pokemon's temper to go in full outrage."

Clair sighed, "It's more dangerous than that. Once injected into a pokemon, it will make them filled with rage and kill anything or anyone in sight before spreading the disease on. They eventually die from too much stress on the body."

We stared at her wide-eyed, "It's that dangerous?! Why hasn't it been destroyed?" Dawn asked angrily.

Clair frowned, "We don't know where it is and the people who own the formula don't want to destroy it so it's out there for the taking. Do you know who wants it to where they would go after May and Max?"

Everyone looked at me causing me to sigh, "I don't know who. When I asked May this morning, all she said was 'someone who's there but isn't'. Those are the exact words she told me."

"Hmmm…..someone who is there but isn't," Dawn muttered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"_Drew…._"

I flinched in surprise as I thought I heard May.

"_Sleep…._."

Wait….sleep, why sleep? I then remembered this morning, "I'll tell you one way or another". I slapped my forehead in stupidity, that's how May was going to give me answers.

"Uh Drew….you okay?" Ash asked.

"I'm fine, I just figured out what May said early and how to get some answers," I said quickly as May and Max were roomed into their room.

"Care to fill us in?" Leaf asked annoyed.

"Just find a chair and make a circle around both May and Max's beds," I said quickly as Gardevoir poked her head in the door. "Gardevoir, can you boost the psychic energy in this room?"

"_What are you planning to do_?" she asked.

"Talk to May like before," I said and saw her nod in understanding.

I smiled and nodded in thanks before grabbing a pokeball, "Butterfree, use Sleep Powder," I commanded as I called him out.

"Free," he trilled as he did what I asked.

I felt myself nod off and laid my head down on May's bed before I saw black. I looked around and saw the saw ball of light and floated toward it. I stepped through it into the same field of roses from when I talked to May before. I looked down to see that my clothes changed to a green apple dress shirt, black dress pants, and black shoes. I looked around and saw that everyone else made it. The guys wore the same attire as me except their shirts wore different colors and the girls wore knee length spring dresses with a short sleeved cropped cardigan and sandals.

"What is this place?" Dawn asked in breathless wonder.

"A neutral meeting place that May and I have with our auras," I explained.

Gary smirked, "Why does this not surprise me?"

I then looked ahead to see May and Max in the distance, I then ran over to them and gathered May in my arms, "You're alright," I murmured into her hair.

I felt her chuckle, "I'm fine for the most part," she said as she hugged me back.

I pulled away a little, "For the most part?" I asked concerned.

May pulled out as her form flickered and changed to where it looked like she was in her mid-thirties, "That's why I said 'for the most part'," she said with a sigh as the others caught up to me.

"May, why do you look like your thirty?" Dawn asked as Max's form flickered and changed to where it looked like he was in his twenties.

May sighed again, "The drug is making our minds unstable besides putting our bodies to sleep making it hard to keep our forms our age," she explained.

"So do you know how you're going to get out of a coma?" Leaf asked.

May put her hand behind her head and grinned sheepishly, "Uh….."

"You don't have a plan do you?" Paul asked bluntly.

"Nope," May said with a shake of her head as her form changed to where she was in her seventies.

"So you just take that drug without knowing how to wake up!" Misty yelled. "What the Hell!"

"Hey, I needed to be able to get me and Max out of harm's way and this was the only thing I could do. I couldn't pull another fake death," May said angrily.

"Which you can't really do if you've already done it," Max pointed out as his form changed to where he looked sixty.

We glared at him before I sighed, "Okay, we'll figure something out," I said tiredly. "Can you now please explain what the hell is going on?"

May and Max looked at each other before May gestured for him to talk first.

"Okay, so first of all, I was the one who figured out the Ropex Formula," Max said causing us to stare at him shocked.

"You invented it?" Gary asked surprised.

Max sighed, "Not invented, but figured out," he explained. "A think tank asked me to figure it out and I didn't know how bad it was til I was too late. I warned them to destroy it, but they never did. They hid it away and that was the end of it til Hunter J escaped."

"But that's not possible, she's in prison," Leaf argued.

May shook her head, "She escaped and someone is impersonating her to keep her escape hidden," she explained. "She started to threaten Max to get the formula which he couldn't do because he had no idea where it was and had no idea what to do which was why he wanted to see me yesterday. Due to us talking, they beat up my Glaceon badly."

May looked furious as her formed changed to where she was seven years old, "I healed her up and decided to strike back. I stole the formula and destroyed it along with any of its research, but not before I knew how to create it," she said causing us to look shocked again.

"You stole it? How? We don't even know where it is?" Misty said astonished.

"I have connections," May said shortly. "After that, Drew started to ask if everything was okay because he knew that I drugged the popcorn with sleep powder."

"Wait….you drugged us?!" Dawn screeched.

May glared which looked cute since she looked like she was seven, "I had to because you weren't gonna let me leave without explaining myself. Now quit interrupting!" she snapped. "Anyways, after it looked like Drew was helping me with Math this morning, they beat up Blaziken and Lucario because they figured I told him something. After I patched them up as best as I could, I stole that vial of XSC39 and drugged Max and myself so Hunter J couldn't get us to help her."

"Do you know why Hunter J wants the formula?" Gary asked.

Max and May shook their heads as Max's form changed to six and May's turned back to normal, "We figured she wanted it for a client. Otherwise, we have no idea. It isn't like her to steal anything for her clients but pokemon," May said.

Leaf sighed, "I guess that makes things more difficult for us, but we'll catch her. Try to rest and heal while we try to fix this mess."

May nodded, "We better head back and report to Clair," Leaf said as the others started to fade.

"I'll join you guys in a minute," I said before they faded completely.

"Max, you should go back and rest," May said gently as his form changed back to normal.

"Fine," he agreed before giving us an evil glare. "No funny business."

May sighed as she put her head in her hand and her other hand on her hip as Max faded away, "Why does he do that?" she muttered.

I chuckled as I gathered her in my arms again, "It's a guy thing, we're very protective of our girls."

May gave a small laugh, "I suppose it doesn't bother you because you'll get to say the same thing to him about Lizzy."

I smirked before I kissed her and she sighed in content, "I'm sorry you had to find me like you did, it must have been painful," she said sorrowfully as she looked down.

"It was, I felt a stab in my heart when you took that drug," I said sadly as I laid my face in her hair.

I then felt her tremble, "I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do," she strained to say as she tried to prevent tears from falling. "I had to protect Max and my pokemon."

I lifted her head up and kissed her again, "I don't blame, you were trying to protect those you care about. I just wish that you weren't put in those situations."

"You and me both, I hate to bring any of you pain," she sobbed.

I continued to hold her til she settled down, "Thank you Drew," she sighed.

She stepped out of my embrace as her form changed again to where she looked thirty, "This age changing thing is starting to get really annoying," she muttered.

I smirked as I plucked a rose to stick in her, "You still look beautiful to me no matter what age you are."

"Flirt," May muttered, but kissed my cheek. "You should be getting back to the others."

I nodded and turned away to leave, but I felt her grab my hand, "Please stay safe," she said worriedly.

I felt a small smile appear as I changed my form to look like I was thirty before turning around to kiss her, "Don't worry, I will."

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

We explained the situation to Clair who left to try and get the people in Analysis to start tracking down Hunter J.

We stood outside the recovery room waiting for Drew to show up, "Why do I get the feeling their making out?" I muttered.

"Whatcha say Leafy?" Gary asked.

"Nothing," I said tiredly as Drew appeared.

"We should help in Analysis to see if we can find Hunter J. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can try to figure out a formula to wake up May and Max," Dawn advised.

We nodded in agreement as we left for Analysis. When we got there, Lance was there with Clair looking at the monitors and he didn't look happy.

"Figures that she's the cause of this whole problem," Lance muttered.

"Lance enough! May is not the problem, she was brought in because she and Max were threatened by Hunter J," Clair snapped. "If you say another thing against her, you are out of here."

"You can't do that, I'm in charge of this agency," he sneered.

"But I can kick you off this case," she retorted.

"Any luck?" I asked interrupting their argument.

"Nothing yet," Clair reported.

"Chief, we have a hit," someone called.

"Where?" Clair asked.

"Near Lake Valor," they said quickly as they blew up the location on the main screen.

"Chief, another spotting at Lake Verity," another person shouted.

"Same with Lake Acuity," another reported.

"Well she can't be in all three places at once," Clair snapped.

I froze, "Uh….guys, does this situation ring a bell?" I asked agitated.

They looked at me confused til Gary face palmed, "Crap, they're going after the Lake Guardians."

"What are you talking about?" Lance asked sternly.

"Hunter J is trying to capture the Lake Guardians, why else who there be blips of activity in those areas," Dawn explained.

Suddenly I was hit with pain and I leaned over gripping my head, "Leafy what's….."

Gary and the others then leaned over gripping their heads as well, "Something's wrong," Dawn strained to say.

"What's wrong?" Clair asked in concern as all eyes were on us.

"The Lake Guardians, we feel…..their pain," I said painfully.

"Chief, we have a call coming in from Cynthia," someone announced.

"Answer it," Lance called.

"_Lance, what is going on_?!" she asked slightly angry.

"We don't know, my agents assume that Hunter J is going after the Lake Guardians," Lance answered.

"_Wait a minute, Hunter J escaped?! I thought you said she couldn't escape because of tight security_!" Cynthia snapped.

"We didn't know she escaped until my agents told me that from May and Max," Clair explained.

"_Where is May now? She's probably the only one who can stop this_," Cynthia said concerned.

Clair looked grim as the pain faded from my head, "Both she and Max are in a drug induced coma."

Cynthia looked shocked, "_How?! Why_?!"

"She did it to protect herself and Max from revealing the Ropex Formula," I said angrily. "Hunter J threatened to kill us and beat her pokemon if they didn't obey so she had no choice."

Cynthia sighed, "_That girl never as a break_," she muttered sadly before looking thoughtful. "_But why would Hunter J want the Ropex Formula_?"

"We don't know, May and Max theorized that a client of hers wanted it," Clair said.

"_That doesn't make sense though, she doesn't deal with anything but pokemon_," Cynthia argued. "_What client would want a virus that would wipe out life on this world as we know it_?"

I felt a shockwave of thought pass through me as I realized the danger of the words 'this world'.

"Leaf, what's wrong?" Dawn asked concerned.

"Tony, run a complete scan of the prison and the prisoner's biometrics," I ordered.

"Yes Miss Green," he said as Cynthia's picture shrank in size while pulled to the side while Tony ran the scan.

"What are you thinking Leaf?" Ash asked.

"I'm thinking Hunter J wasn't the only villain to escape," I said angrily. "Who do we know that has tried to destroy the world before in order to create a new one?"

The gangs eyes lit up in shock and anger, "Miss Green, three prisoners biometrics don't match up," Tony reported.

I sighed hoping I was wrong, "Team Galactic," I seethed angrily.

"_Are you telling me that trio escaped as well?! Lance, what kind of a prison are you running_?!" Cynthia shouted angrily.

Lance looked pissed but said nothing as everything clicked into place causing me to gasp, "Of course, this is all revenge!"

Everyone stared at me, "Think about it, that trio of idiots wanted to create a new world along with Cyrus but he didn't let them in. For revenge, they want to achieve the same thing, but to destroy us in the process because we brought them down."

"But that doesn't make sense, why destroy the world, it doesn't fit their ideals. And we still don't know why Hunter J would want the Ropex formula?" Paul argued.

"We'll have to figure it out later, right now we need to protect the Lake Guardians. Cynthia, I'll send agents to all three locations, we'll be in touch," Clair said as she ended the call.

"I'm sending you to Lake Valor, go change and meet back at Command Central," Lance ordered us.

We nodded and changed into more suitable clothes before going to Command Central to have an Alakazam teleport us to Lake Valor.

I looked around and saw that the middle of the lake was shining and a building looking thing hovering in the sky. I turned to the right and saw Cynthia talking to Professors Carolina and Rowan, "Cynthia," Dawn called.

They stopped talking and turned to look at us, "Has anything happened?"

Cynthia nodded grimly, "Hunter J has released something into the lake," she said angrily.

We turned to look and see a ball of light rising from the lake while Hunter J and her Salamence were flying around.

"Salamence, use Hyper Beam," Hunter J ordered.

Salamence roared and did as ordered at the ball of light. The ball glowed and took the form of Azelf.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt," Ash shouted.

"Toxicroak, use Dark Pulse," a sinister voice ordered.

The Dark Pulse stopped Pikachu and threw him into Ash, "Don't interfere," the sinister voice said as he emerged from the shadows.

We turned around and glared, "Saturn," I spat.

He chuckled, "Surprised?"

We said nothing but continued to glare, "Piplup, use Bubble Beam," Dawn shouted.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt," Ash called.

"Roserade, use Petal Dance," Drew ordered.

"Use Iron Tail," Two other sinister voices ordered.

Suddenly a Purugly and a Stuntank appeared from the attacks and hit Piplup, Ash, and Pikachu back.

"Piplup, Pikachu, Roserade," Drew, Dawn, and Ash cried as they caught their pokemon.

"Well now, seems we're missing one," Jupiter snickered. "Where's the one who's light on her feet?"

Drew glared at her, "Why do you care?" he snapped.

The trio laughed, "We don't, but we're glad for the state she's in. It looks like she picked the wrong option to hide, but it works in our favor," Saturn chortled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dawn said angrily.

"We couldn't go about our plan if your friend was in the way so we had to do something to get rid of her," Mars said with a smirk.

We were confused, what the hell were they talking about? "Still confused, does 'Ropex Formula' ring a bell?" Jupiter said with an evil grin.

"You're the ones who wanted it!" Gary yelled.

"Yes and no," Saturn said with a small grin. "We said we wanted it to send your friend on a wild goose chase. We have no use for it except for it being a decoy to corner her in which she can't escape."

We stood there stunned, the formula was bait to lure May into thinking she needed to destroy it and hide herself from anyone ever finding out trapping her in a state of where she can't wake up.

"You bastard!" Drew shouted angrily.

The trio grinned evilly as Hunter J captured Azelf causing us to lean over in pain.

"One down, two to go," Jupiter said pleased.

I called out Espeon, "Use Swift."

"Toxicroak, use Sludge Bomb," Saturn ordered.

Both attacks met in the middle and caused an explosion and smoke. As the smoke cleared, Toxicroak used Poison Jab.

"Espeon," I cried as I knelt down next to her.

"That's it!" Dawn shouted as she threw her remaining pokeballs into the air to release her pokemon.

Everyone else including myself did the same, "You're outnumbered!" Gary shouted.

The trio smirked, "Are we?"

Suddenly we saw Hunter J's henchmen surround us and called out their pokemon making it even, but before we call out an attack, Mesprit and Uxie appeared.

While we were looking away, the trio and henchmen attacked before we could counter. We were ready to order a counter attack, but stopped when the smoke faded and we saw that some of our pokemon were held at knife point.

"Return your pokemon or these will be dead," a henchman shouted.

We clenched our teeth angrily and did as they said. They let our pokemon go and I hugged Espeon tightly, "Are you alright?" I asked concerned.

"_I'm alright_," she said tiredly before I returned her.

We then looked to the lake as Mesprit and Uxie used Future Sight only to then be captured by Hunter J making us kneel over in pain.

"You won't get away with this," I said angrily.

The trio smirked as Hunter J brought forth the Lake Guardians, "You will receive payment as promised," Saturn said.

Hunter J nodded before flying away on Salamence for her ship along with her henchmen. Once aboard and ready to leave, Future Sight struck causing the ship to start flying for the lake and was swallowed up. We all stood in shock at what we just witnessed as smoke and embers arose from the lake.

Suddenly the smoke disappeared and a mist rolled in, "What's going on?" Mars snapped.

We looked to the middle of the lake and heard a familiar "Bi".

"It can't be…." I said softly in disbelief.

It was Celebi and someone wearing a white cloak to cover their identity. A hand appeared out of the cloak of a preteen girl as something levitated from it. A bright light shone and it landed back in the girl's hand. A soft melody was played as the girl walked across the lake toward us. The melody was powerful and it broke the Lake Guardian's prison free. The melody ended and the flute the girl had turned back into a key as the Lake Guardians floated to her.

Could it be…but that's not possible, "May?" I called in surprise.

The girl didn't respond giving reason to believe that it wasn't her which made us more confused. She had the key that May had, but if she wasn't May, who was she?

"What do you want?" Jupiter snapped.

The figure chuckled and a clump of hair appeared out of the hood only for her to quickly tuck it behind her ear. What shocked me, if no one else, was that the hair was green, a shade lighter than Drew's.

"Tell me, is the reason that you are doing this all because you want your own little world all to yourselves," the girls asked with a smirk.

"There needs to be a purer world than this," Mars argued.

"That's a hypocritical statement, there is no such thing as a pure world. Every world, existing or not, is tainted from violence and other horrible things. The 'pure' world that you wish to live in would be tainted by yourselves," she said philosophically.

We stared at her at her wisdom, she's really wise for a preteen.

"How dare you mock our ideals," Jupiter screamed. "Stuntank, use Poison Sting!"

I stared at the girl in horror as the attack raced toward her. She stood still and raised her hand to project an Aura Sphere to stop the attack causing us to just stare at her.

"Just who are you?" Saturn asked sternly.

The girl smirked again, "A Guardian of Arceus of course."

We just stared at her, everyone did, "Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie, you have the honor," the girl said as she gestured her hand to the trio.

The Lake Guardians sang their names and circled around the top of them, "Since you wish for another world, your wish shall be granted. The Lake Guardians will be sure to see that you are to suffer all the pain that you have caused," the girl said with disgust.

The trio screamed and vanished into the portal that the Lake Guardians created.

"You righted that wrong that has come, thank you," the girl said as she bowed in gratitude.

She then turned to us, "You must be deeply confused I imagine," she teased.

"That's an understatement," Paul muttered.

The girl giggled, "It's funny, you act the same yet different."

We just gave her confused looks and she laughed, "You must wonder who I am since I said I'm a Guardian of Arceus, correct?"

We nodded, she smiled as she let down her hood letting us see her face and we were shocked, "I think you can figure out how I happened," she said with a smirk.

She then walked to Drew and placed a vial in his hands, "Give this to your friends, it will heal them of their mistake."

Suddenly Celebi appeared and said something to the girl, "I suppose I must head back to my time."

"Wait….what's your name?" Drew asked.

The girl smirked yet again and flicked her bangs before tossing a rose at Drew, "You'll figure it out in due time, but for now, you won't remember me when I leave due to the Lake Guardians erasing your memories. We'll meet again in time."

She then stepped into the portal Celebi made and disappeared. Then the Lake Guardians circled the sky and a sparkling dust appeared on us and we fell asleep.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I felt myself being shaken awake and opened my eyes to see Paul looking down at me, "Ugh, I have a terrible headache," I muttered as I sat up gripping my head.

I tried to remember what happened but all I could remember was a figure wearing a white cloak, "You alright Troublesome?" Paul asked.

"For the most part," I said as I looked around to see everyone looking like they had headaches too. "Does anyone remember what happened?"

"All I remember is a figure dressed in a white cloak," Leaf said and everyone else nodded in agreement.

Drew looked at the vile in his hands and the rose, "I remember the cloak and the person telling me that this vial was for May."

"Well, if it's for May, we better give it to her," I said as I stood up.

"I'll take care of the situation here," Cynthia said tiredly. "You guys go on ahead to report to Clair and Lance."

We nodded and notified Clair that we needed to come back to headquarters. We were then teleported back and quickly went to the infirmary to give the medic the vial. After some testing, we discovered it was the antidote for the drug which baffled everyone including ourselves.

"So you don't remember who it was?" Clair asked again after we gave her and Lance a full report.

We shook our heads, "When we try to remember, all we see is a white cloaked figure," I explained.

The door to the conference room opened and the medic stuck their head in smiling, "They're awake."

We quickly stop up and ran to May and Max's room to see them sitting up looking pale, but smiling. Drew walked over to May and kissed her cheek while holding her hand affectionately.

"I knew you guys would figure it out," May said tiredly but happily.

"So what happened?" Max asked.

We looked at each and explained what happened causing May and Max to be surprised and upset, "Figures we fell for a trap," May sighed. "And for the Lake Guardians, I should have been there stopping all that."

Drew squeezed May's hand gently, "You did what you did out of instinct and as for not being there, it turned out alright in the end."

"So you have no idea who this figure is?" Max asked.

We shook our heads, "We don't know, but I know they saved us and gave Drew the antidote to wake you up," I said.

"I sense that your memories were altered or erased, but it was probably for the best. Sometimes knowing the smallest thing can change your future entirely," May said thoughtfully before she yawned.

Drew kissed her forehead, "You two should get some rest," Drew said as he stood up. "We'll be back tomorrow."

May and Max nodded as they fell asleep again, we walked out and made our way to the jet to take us back to school. I trudged behind everyone in thought trying to still take in all that happened that I could remember.

I then felt someone hold my hand, "You alright Troublesome?" Paul asked.

I nodded, "I'm just trying to process all that happened today that I could remember."

"I think we all are," he agreed.

"Do you think we'll ever find out what truly happened?" I asked him.

Paul nodded as we took a seat on the jet, "I have a feeling it will be quite a while before we will, but we'll eventually remember."

* * *

**_September 12th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

Over the course of the next few days, I was able to heal Max almost to perfect health and heal myself for the most part though I was still quite weak and had to use a wheel chair since I was low on energy. We were discharged/kicked out by Lance the day after we woke up and Drew and the gang didn't feel comfortable leaving me in the house so Max and I had been staying at Drew's house warmly welcomed by his parents and Lizzy.

I was currently sitting in the garden with Drew's mom and Lizzy for tea. Max left yesterday back for the Pokemon Center to help out Nurse Joy since he felt 'fully recharged'. His words, not mine.

"You doing better today?" Jennifer asked.

I nodded, "I think I might be fully back to health in a day or two, guess that coma drug really drained my energy levels."

"Have your powers or aura abilities react weird or act strange?" Lizzy asked.

I shook my head, "Thankfully everything seems to be acting normal."

Lizzy sighed in smiled in relief as a maid came up, "Madam, there is a man who is here to see Miss Maple," she said.

"Thank you Mary, bring him here," Jennifer said politely.

May nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, she returned with a gentleman wearing an expensive black three piece suit, "That will be all Mary, thank you," Jennifer said.

Mary nodded and left, "How can we help you?" Jennifer asked.

"Miss Maple," he said to me gruffly.

"Yes," I said as I set my tea cup down.

He reached into his suit coat and pulled out an envelope, "You have been summoned to court by Solplex Research Facilities."


	6. Summons of Greed and Ridiculousness

**_September 12th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

Lizzy dropped her teacup in shock while Jennifer looked angry, "On what charge?!" Jennifer demanded angrily.

"For the destruction of the Ropex Formula and all its research," he stated stiffly as he handed me the summons. "You are to report to court this Friday."

Jennifer said nothing, but still looked angry as she pressed a buzzer on the table. A few seconds later, a butler appeared, "George, please escort this man off the premises," she said briskly as if trying not to strangle the guy.

"Yes Madam," he said as he gestured for the man to leave.

After he left, I took a sip of tea acting calm while Lizzy was still in shock and Jennifer looked livid, "May, how are you acting so calm?!" Lizzy asked surprised as I read the summons.

"It's not the first time I've been sued and summoned," I said suddenly feeling tired.

Lizzy still looked at me in shock, "What's it say?" Jennifer asked trying to not lash out.

I sighed, "I've been summoned to court on the charge of destroying the formula which is deemed destruction of property and they want to sue me for three million dollars."

Jennifer and Lizzy almost did a spit take, "What!"

I handed Jennifer the summons and she read it before looking livid, "This is ridiculous, I'm calling the family attorney," she said determined as she picked up her phone.

"No need to do that," I said quickly as I put my hand on top of hers to stop her.

"You're seriously not considering paying that fee," Lizzy said appalled.

I frowned, "Of course not, I agree with your mother that the price is absolutely ridiculous," I said annoyed. "You just don't have to involve your family attorney, Max and I already have one. He's a friend of our dad's and he knew our grandfather as well."

"Is he good, not that I'm saying he isn't," Jennifer said quickly.

I gave a small smile, "It's alright, I know you're worried about me being defended well. Jonathon has never done me and Max wrong, he's helped me in cases before and he's managed my family's affairs for years. He's almost like a grandfather to the both of us and I call on him for legal counsel all the time."

"Jonathon? As in Jonathon Randel?" Jennifer asked.

I nodded, "Do you know him mom?" Lizzy asked.

She shook her head, "I've heard of him, he is really good in his practice. Actually, he might have provided legal counsel for your father a few times," she said.

"Do you mind if I borrow your phone?" I asked.

"Go right ahead," Jennifer said as she handed it to me.

I typed in the number and heard the phone ring, after the third ring someone picked up, "_Randal and Stuart Law Firm_," a pleasant voice answered.

"Hi Sherry, it's May," I said.

"_Well hello sweetie, how have you been_?" she asked sweetly.

"I've been better," I said tiredly. "Is Jonathon available?"

"_Hold on for a second sweetie, I'll call and see_," she said before I was put on hold for a few seconds.

"_Well hello May, what can I do for you_?" he asked me in grandfatherly tone.

I smiled softly, "Do you have time to see me this afternoon, I have something I need you to see," I said tiredly.

"_Let me see_," he said as I heard pages being flipped. "_I'm free this afternoon so anytime is fine_."

I silently sighed in relief knowing he was available, "I'm at the Hayden estate as of right now, could you stop by at 3:15? I asked.

"_Sounds good, I'll see you then_," he said before he hung up.

I handed the phone back to Jennifer, "You don't mind if he comes her do you?" I asked.

"Not at all May," she said with a smile. "I'll let you two girls chat, I have to talk to Martha about dinner tonight."

She then left leaving the two of us, Lizzy looked at me in concern, "Are you alright May, you look pale?"

I sipped my tea, "I feel drained," I said tiredly. "This sort of situation makes you tired."

"Want me to take you to your room?" she asked.

I shook my head as I placed the summons on my lap, "Do you mind pushing me in the garden for a bit?"

She smiled, "Not at all," she said happily as she pressed the buzzer.

George then appeared, "Can you get someone to clean this up?" Lizzy asked nicely.

"Yes Miss Hayden," he said as he started to clean up the tea things.

"Any particular place you want to go?" Lizzy asked as she started pushing me away from the table.

"How about the northeast side, the roses look like they could use some sprucing up," I said.

"As you wish Lady Hayden," Lizzy said teasingly as she continued to push me.

I sighed, "Are you still going on about that?" I asked tiredly.

"Come on May, you're wearing a cute summer dress, have had afternoon tea, an elegant flair to your attitude, and you and Drew have promised to each other. How can I not call you Lady Hayden?" Lizzy asked sternly.

I rolled my eyes, "For the first thing, you threatened to leak more of my diary onto the internet if I didn't wear this dress. Second, your mother invited me to join her for tea. And third, you are supposed to act polite in public," I retorted.

I could feel Lizzy looking at me with a smirk, "So you don't say anything about the last reason?" she asked teasingly.

"Lizzy, try to understand that Drew and I promised each other because we love each other and we promised to protect and help the other, it wasn't a flashy event to show that we might get married someday. We wanted the other to know and understand that we love them and that no matter what life throws at us, we'll face it head on together and that we'll never let the other down," I explained with a small smile as I pulled at a nearby rose.

"Aww….that is the most romantic thing," Lizzy squealed before calming down. "Alright, I'll try to tone the teasing down, but can I just indulge myself for today?"

I sighed, "Alright, but only so that you can get it out of your system," I agreed.

"Yes!" she said as she pumped a fist in the air.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret saying that?" I muttered.

"Cheer up Lady Hayden, it's only for nine and a half more hours," she said cheerfully as we rolled up to where I asked to be. "What are you going to do?"

I smiled as I stood up and walked to the bushes, "This," I said softly as I raised my hand over it and let the flowers bloom fully before allowing my power to spread over the whole area.

"Whoa…." Lizzy said in awe as I finished.

"There, now it looks better," I said pleased before grabbed the summons and teleported the wheelchair back to the house.

"Are you sure you have enough energy to walk?" Lizzy asked concerned.

I nodded, "The walk will be good for me," I said firmly.

We started making our way back, "Have you decided where you'll compete in contests next?" I asked.

Lizzy shrugged, "I don't know, I was thinking Johto, but I'm sure."

"Johto would be a good place to start next, the contest rules are very similar to the rules here in Hoenn," I agreed.

She nodded absentmindedly causing me to sigh, "Am I affecting your decision?" I asked.

She looked at me and I knew I hit the nail on the head, "Are you scared from when I put myself and Max in a drug induced coma?" I asked.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," she whispered.

I placed a hand on her shoulder drew her into a hug, "I'm sorry for scaring you, I just did what I thought was the only option left," I said softly.

"But it wasn't your only option," Lizzy cried.

I smiled softly, "At the time, I thought it was," I said sadly. "Try to understand that sometimes I can't control the situations that are thrown at me and I may get hurt. That shouldn't stop you from going on your journey."

"But May…..," she argued with tears streaming down her face.

"But nothing, this is the path that has been laid out for me and you staying at home monitoring me like Max won't do anything to help you. You need to learn to let me go and just hope that I'll be okay," I said gently. "And I promise that I will stop putting myself in tough situations."

She sobbed and hugged me again and I let her, I was almost like an older sister to her and she loved me as much as Drew did.

Once she calmed down, she dried her eyes, "Thanks May," she said gratefully.

I smiled as I looked at my poketech, "Geez, we better head back to the house, everyone will start showing up in a few minutes!"

We then picked up the pace and made to the house to find Lizzy's dad in the foyer, "Wow dad, you're home early?" Lizzy said surprised.

"I was able to leave earlier than expected," he said as George helped him with his coat. "How was your day?"

Lizzy and I looked at each other, "Umm…." Lizzy said nervously.

"I've been summoned to court," I said quickly so that Lizzy didn't have to tell.

He frowned, "What on earth for?" he asked concerned.

"Destruction of property," I said with a sigh as I handed him the summons.

I watched as he read it and he looked angry, "This is absolutely ridiculous!" he spluttered.

"That's what I said," Jennifer said as she came into the foyer.

"Have you called our lawyer?" Christopher asked.

She shook her head, "May already has one, he'll be here in a few minutes."

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Jonathon Randel," I said. "He's been my family's lawyer since my grandpa."

Christopher nodded approvingly as he and Jennifer walked toward the library while Lizzy and I went to the parlor nearby. As we sat down, I rang for Mary to bring me some blueberry tea.

"May, you just had tea? You want more and why blueberry?" Lizzy asked confused.

"I drink tea because it's good for you and I wanted blueberry because it's a reenergizer, something I really need right now," I said tiredly.

"You shouldn't have walked back then," Lizzy retorted.

"I needed the exercise since I've hardly been walking," I argued.

Lizzy just sighed as Mary came back with the tea and the gang teleported into the room.

"Will that be all?" Mary asked.

I nodded and smiled, "Yes, thank you Mary."

I quickly poured myself a cup and breathed in the aroma, "Well don't you look cozy, I'd say you've come right out of Upton Abbey," Dawn teased. "Is the luxury getting to your head?"

I rolled my eyes as I drank my tea, "Please," I muttered.

"Well, you sure look like it," Leaf agreed.

"For the record, Lizzy threatened me to dress nice otherwise she would have threatened to post more of my diary on the internet," I snapped.

"Lizzy….." Drew chastised.

"What? As long as she was here and acting nice, I thought for her to play the part," Lizzy stated. "Isn't that right, Lady Hayden?"

Everyone just stared at me, before looking back at her, "What? She's letting me," Lizzy protested.

"Seriously?" Drew asked me.

"Only for today so she can get it out of her system," I said tiredly.

Misty looked at me in concern, "Are you feeling okay, you look pale and tired."

I sighed, "Somewhat, I'm really tired right now."

Drew sat next to me concerned, "This was given to me this afternoon," I said as I gave Drew the summons.

He looked at me confused and then started to read it, his face went from looking confused to angry and annoyed, "This is absolutely ridiculous!" he said angrily.

"What?" Gary asked.

"May's being sued three million dollars for destruction of the Ropex Formula and its research," Drew said angrily as he stood up and started pacing while everyone looked in shock and annoyance.

"That's just stupid!" Dawn said stupefied.

"What it is Troublesome, is a load BS," Paul grunted.

"Can they do that?" Misty asked.

I nodded, "They legally can sue me that, but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow it," I huffed.

George then entered the room, "Miss Maple, a Mr. Randel is here to see you," he announced.

"Please show him in," I said politely as I stood up.

George then disappeared for a second before showing Mr. Randel in, "Thanks so much for coming," I said cordially as I shook his hand and gestured to the couches.

I could tell all eyes were on me by my manners though Lizzy smirked, "Would you like some tea?" I offered.

"I'll have a cup," he said as he sat down across from me. "How are you Drew, I haven't seen you since last year at your father's meeting."

"I've been fine sir," Drew said as I handed Jonathon his cup.

"And who all do we have here?" he asked as he turned to face everyone else.

"These are our friends, Misty Waterflower, Ash Ketchum, Leaf Green, Gary Oak, Dawn Berlitz, and Paul Shinji," I introduced.

"And you've met my sister Lizzy," Drew added.

"Well now, it seems you've developed quite the passel of friends here," Jonathon said with a grin.

I nodded, "We'll let you attend your business," Drew said courteously signaling to the gang to leave.

Drew kissed my cheek and left with them and Lizzy before shutting the door.

"How long have you two been dating?" Jonathon asked.

"Almost a year," I said with a small smile.

Jonathon gave a small smile, "He certainly did his research when looking up love knots," he said impressed as he noticed my promise ring. "Now what is it that you have to show me?"

I handed him the summons, he put on his reading specs and read it.

He frowned, "This is a very serious accusation," he said seriously. "Is this true?"

I sighed and nodded, "This is not looking good for you May," he said sternly.

"I know, but we might be able to get away with it on grounds of it being immorally cruel to pokemon," I suggested.

"Why don't you tell the whole story first and then I can see what I do," he said while setting his cup down.

I took a deep breath and explained to him what happened a couple of days ago and what the formula was.

Jonathon sighed, "This still does not look good for you. We might be able to get away with saying you did it under reasonable circumstances. Do you know who invented the formula?"

"Well…..," I said hesitantly. "Max was asked to figure it out for a think tank."

Jonathon sighed, "This really does not look good for you May," he said tiredly.

I sighed, "I know, but I really do not want to pay three million dollars, that is just too ridiculous."

Jonathon nodded in agreement, "I'll take your case, but I can't guarantee it will end well," he warned. "They might bring up your other charges and you might even face jail time for things you've done."

I nodded and we stood up, "In the meantime, please rest, you'll need your rest for the trial."

I nodded again as I buzzed for George, "Thanks again for coming." I said gratefully.

Jonathon nodded and smiled, "Relax and don't worry for the next few days, I'll take care of it."

George then showed Jonathon out and I collapsed onto the couch feeling, anxious, drained, worried, and ready to pass out.

"I take it the meeting didn't go so well," Lizzy commented as everyone came back in.

I sighed as I leaned forward and rubbed my face with my hands, "He made a good point that the research company will drudge up old charges brought against me and I might be facing possible jail time with this charge being added on," I said tiredly.

I then telepathically asked Gardevoir to appear and she teleported into the room, "Please teleport me to my room, I think I might pass out," I said tiredly.

Drew looked at me in deep concern and touched my arm to be teleported with me. We made it to my room and I grasped the bed feeling faint.

Drew came up to me and helped me lay down, "You should have said something," he scolded gently as he sat next to me and stroked my hair.

I sighed, "I couldn't really say anything, I guess I'm worried and it's not helping my recovery."

"That is an understatement," Drew said lightly as he kissed my forehead. "Rest, I'll alert everyone that you won't be coming down."

I smiled in gratitude and closed my eyes as Drew left.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

After I shut the door, I sighed. This lawsuit is not helping May in the slightest.

I went downstairs and found my family talking in the library, Lizzy looked at me worried, "How is she?"

"She was about ready to pass out," I said angrily. "This lawsuit is not helping her recovery."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure she stays rested for Friday," mom said tiredly before looking at Lizzy. "And no more teasing May, it's bad enough you're pressuring her that she might have my responsibilities someday."

"But mom…," Lizzy whined.

"No more, especially for the next few days. It's bad enough that you made a lot of pressure on her months ago, no more talk of engagement or marriage," mom said sternly.

"It's going to happen though," Lizzy argued. "They already did promise rings which is basically an engagement."

"Elizabeth, promise rings don't necessarily lead up to marriage, it's a symbolic thing that people do to signify a promise and that could mean anything," mom explained her tone starting to rise.

"But the ring Drew chose is love knot," Lizzy continued to argue.

"Elizabeth!" my dad shouted sternly causing her to stop. "A promise ring can stand for love yes, but it is when a promise is made and it doesn't necessarily lead to marriage. The promise could be faithfulness, I don't know. The promise your brother and May made is between them. Now stop teasing them about something that is sacred to them."

Lizzy looked ready to cry, but her face contorted in anger as she ran from the room causing us to sigh, "Well…..that was awkward," I said tiredly as I twisted the ring around my finger.

"She's still young and doesn't quite understand the concept," mom said gently as she took my hand and looked at my ring. "You two did a very good job at choosing rings. I can understand why you did it, the lives that you two lead, you never know what will happen."

She squeezed my hand gently, "You better entertain your friends, they're in your game room."

I nodded and left. When I got there, I saw Leaf, Gary, Misty, and Ash playing a racing game on the TV while Dawn and Paul were watching them from a nearby chair.

Leaf paused the game much to the complaint of Ash and Gary, "How is she?"

"She was ready to pass out and I told her to rest," I said causing everyone to look upset.

"This is really bad timing. Anyway, why do they want to sue her anyways if the formula was dangerous?" Leaf asked.

"Because they want the money," I grumbled.

"Can we scare them up a bit?" Dawn asked as she took out a knife shocking us.

"Did you have that on you in school?" Leaf spluttered.

Dawn rolled her eyes giving her a "duh" look. Paul then quickly took it causing Dawn to frown, "That is enough violence Troublesome," he said sternly.

She shrugged and pulled out another one causing us to look at her in shock again, "You have more than one?" Ash asked in surprise.

"It would amaze you as to how weapons I have acquired," she said darkly as she looked at her knife carefully with a grin.

"Dawn, enough," Paul said as he took the other knife away.

"Fine," she muttered as she pouted to the side.

Paul quickly pecked her cheek to get a small smile to appear.

"You doing P.D.A. is still freaking me out," Gary commented with Ash nodding in agreement causing Paul to glare at him.

While the guys weren't looking, Leaf started the game up again and got first place while Misty got second causing Ash and Gary to burst out in complaints.

"What the hell Leafy?!" Gary complained.

"Well don't make such comments," Leaf scolded before smirking. "Besides, all's fair in love and videogames Gare-bear."

She and Misty then stood up to get their backpacks and start working on homework. Dawn joined them and the guys and I started to continue our game of Zombie Apocalypse.

* * *

**_September 13th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

I was half asleep half-awake when Gardevoir entered my mind, "_Go check on May, she seems to be restless_."

I turned over and looked at the clock to see that it was 2:00 in the morning. I got up and made my way to her room. I was worried about her because she hadn't woken up at all since she laid down to rest because she felt faint. I walked in to see her sleeping and I sensed that her aura was agitated.

I then crept into her bed and held her close, "Drew?" she asked sleepily while confused.

"Shh, go to sleep," I said softly as I kissed her forehead.

"But your parents and the servants," she said worriedly and her aura showed her becoming anxious.

"Let me worry about that. Right now, I'm more concerned about making sure you get some sleep," I said gently as I stroked the side of her face.

"But….," she argued.

I placed a finger over her lips, "Sleep," I commanded gently as I pecked her lips.

"Fine," she mumbled as she snuggled closer into me. "I love you."

I smiled softly, "I love you," I said as I kissed her head before closing my eyes and fell back asleep.

I woke up some time later and saw that May was still sleeping next to me. I softly kissed her forehead and carefully got out of bed to make sure that I didn't wake her up. I looked at the bedside clock to see that it was 9:00, guess it's safe to assume I'm not going to class.

I quickly went downstairs to see that the gang left for school and that mom, dad, and Lizzy were still eating.

"So you finally decide to show up, have fun cuddling?" Lizzy teased.

I frowned as I took a seat across from her, "I swear to Mew Lizzy, you better delete all footage you have of that or I will a virus spike your laptop," I hissed.

"Like you can do that," Lizzy said with a smirk.

"We could just as easily take your funding away and ground you from your laptop," dad said as he set his newspaper down.

"Daddy, you can't be serious?" Lizzy complained.

"Then delete the pictures you took," he said sternly.

Lizzy huffed, "Fine," she muttered as she deleted them from her pokenav.

"Did you post them or send them anywhere?" mom asked suspiciously.

"No," Lizzy muttered. "I didn't get the chance to."

"Good," mom said in relief before taking a sip of coffee. "And Drew, try to avoid making a habit of it, I don't want to become a grandmother too soon."

"Mom!" I protested as I felt a blush appear.

Lizzy snickered, "I know how teenagers work," mom said. "Just be careful."

I grabbed a few pancakes, "Mom, do May and I look like we do 'that'," I said with quotations.

Mom shrugged, "Well you're both teenagers and it's something that happens quite a bit," she pointed out.

"So much as for trusting us," I muttered as I started to eat.

"I'm teasing Drew, well…at least I believe May to prevent 'it'," mom said with quotations.

"Mom," I protested again.

"I know her well enough to know that she does everything she can to prevent any scandal," mom pointed out. "Compared to you when you didn't quite care about flirting with either person in public when she had two identities going on at the same time."

I frowned, "Your mother has a point," dad agreed.

I grumbled as I continued to eat and saw that Lizzy mouthed "burn" causing me to glare at her.

After I finished eating, Mary and a few other maids appeared, "Mary, can you prepare a small breakfast tray and bring it up to May's room in a few minutes?" I asked.

"Yes sir," she said courteously as they started to clear the table and I went upstairs to grab my laptop and backpack to take to May's room.

I entered the room to see that May was still sleeping. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, I opened it to find Mary with the breakfast tray.

"Thank you Mary," I said as I took the tray from her.

She turned to leave when I stopped her, "Mary, I know how the servants are fond of gossip. If you could stop the gossip or at least keep it down in the servant's quarters, I would greatly appreciate it. May and I are very paranoid about word getting around ever since last spring," I explained.

Mary nodded and smiled, "Of course Master Hayden, May's been nothing but kind to us, I'll make sure no bad rumors are spread.

"Thank you Mary," I said gratefully.

She nodded again and went back to work as I brought the tray to a nearby desk before I walked over to May and sat next her, "May, time to wake up," I said softly as I gently shook her.

She groaned and blinked a few times before yawning sleepily, "Morning," she said with a sleepily grin.

I smirked, "Morning sleepyhead," I teased as I kissed her.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" she asked concerned as she looked at the clock.

I shrugged, "Everyone let me sleep in and I'm already late," I said as I saw May struggling to try to sit up against the headboard. "Are you feeling okay?"

She shook her head, "I have no energy at all whatsoever," she said tiredly as she finally sat up.

I frowned as I handed placed the breakfast tray on her lap, "Thank you," she said as she started to eat before looking at me in concern. "You alright?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Aren't I supposed to ask you that?"

She rolled her eyes before looking worried, "You're aura shows concern and worry."

I sighed, "Well, I'm worried about you. You've obviously had a relapse from getting better."

May nodded, "I shouldn't be so worried, but I guess I can't help it. It's not like it's my first time being charged or anything."

I looked her in surprise, "You've been sued before?" I asked astonished.

"Not everything I do is appreciated by people," May muttered as she sipped her tea before sighing in content. "Mary seems to know me well."

"What makes you say that?" I asked with a grin.

"She brought up blueberry tea," May said with a smile.

* * *

**_September 14th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

I was currently working on homework with Drew in the rose garden, "I'm glad to be outside for once," I sighed happily.

Drew smirked, "You were only kept indoors for a day," Drew teased.

"Yea and trapped in bed," I retorted. "It's an awful feeling cause you don't have the strength to even stand up."

"I can imagine," Drew said as he pecked my cheek.

"You two are so cute," Roserade teased as she walked up to us.

Drew and I rolled our eyes as I looked at my poketch, "We should head inside, Jonathon should be here soon," I said as I started to pack my stuff up.

"I don't understand you humans and your court trials," Blaziken muttered.

"It's how people can get justice," I explained. "Or they can try to oust you for money."

"Oust?" Roserade asked confused.

"Steal," Drew clarified as he helped me up.

"So how is that justice?" Blaziken asked as we started to walk to the house.

I sighed, "I guess it depends what the case is, mine is over the reason of greed and pure stupidity."

Drew took my hand and squeezed it gently as he pecked my cheek, "Something tells me that those morons have no idea what they have gotten themselves into."

I chuckled, "Let's hope that Jonathon has made a good defense," I said with a sigh.

"I'm sure he did, no need to worry," Drew teased.

I laughed at his use of Dawn's phrase as we entered the house to find George, "Master Hayden, Miss Maple, Mr. Randel and Mr. Peabody are in the parlor," he reported.

"Thank you George," I said gratefully as Drew took my stuff and kissed my cheek before I walked in to meet them.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," I apologized.

"We weren't waiting very long," Jonathon assured me. "May I introduce Mr. Joshua Peabody, he'll be assisting me in defending your case."

I shook Josh's hand, "Nice to meet you," I said politely before I took a seat.

"I'm happy to say that we have a pretty good defense lined up," Jonathon reported causing me to relax a little. "We looked into how it was inhumane against pokemon and we'll build up from that."

"Has the Pokemon Rights Society gotten wind of this?" I asked concerned.

Jonathon shook his head, "Not that I know of, but we'll find out tomorrow," he said. "We'll escort you to the trial to help avoid the press. Be ready to leave by 8:00."

I nodded in understanding and buzzed for George to show them out, "So what'd they say?" Drew asked as he and the gang appeared.

"That they have a good defense lined up," I said in relief.

Drew smirked as he kissed my cheek, "I told you there was no need to worry."

I rolled my eyes, "And don't worry, we'll be there to support you," Dawn promised.

I looked at them in surprise, "Steven's letting you skip school?"

"Sure," Leaf said with a smile. "Let's go with that."

I shook my head, "On your head may it be," I muttered knowing that they were gonna get in trouble. "Just make sure you sneak in, especially you Drew. If the press catches on that you're there, it'll lead to trouble."

Drew took my hand and squeezed it while nodding in understanding, "Now that you've heard that you've gotten a pretty good defense lined up, you ready for the trial?" Ash asked.

I nodded and smirked, "Come what may."


	7. The Trial

**_September 15th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

I woke early to make sure I had time to meditate before getting ready because I wanted be as relaxed as I could get before all the craziness would begin since from my past experience for other trials, they are stressful. After eating and showering, I changed into a sleeveless, knee length sapphire dress with a modest neckline, a single button black blazer with three-fourth quarter length sleeves and black flats.

As I finished putting my hair in a ponytail, I heard a knock on the door, "Come in," I called as I put on my necklace.

I heard the door open and saw the gang plus Lizzy and Max coming in, "You ready May?" Max asked.

"For the most part," I said as I put on a little make-up and did a finally check over.

Lizzy smirked, "If I didn't know any better…..," she started to say, but I raised my hand to stop her.

"Lizzy," I said in warning as I stood up.

"But….," she argued.

"But nothing," I said firmly as we stepped into the hall.

I then heard the doorbell ring, "That must be them," Dawn said.

We walked to the stairs to see George opening the door allowing them in, "Are you ready?" Jonathon asked as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said determined.

"Good," he said with a smile. "Let's get going."

I followed him out and he helped me into his firm's car before we drove to court.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

"I suppose we better get ready to go ourselves," I said as we watched the car drive off.

Suddenly a beeping sound came from Drew's poketch causing Drew to groan, "What's up Lance?" he asked tiredly causing all of us to groan silently.

"_Boys, I need you to go recover a computer chip that was stolen from D.O.R.C_.," he reported.

"Do we seriously have to do it now?" Ash complained.

Lance frowned, "_Yes now! Now get going_!"

He then hung up causing the guys to groan, "You have got to be kidding. If I didn't know Lance any better, I'd think he's doing this on purpose," Drew muttered.

"We'll fill you in on what's happening," Misty promised.

Suddenly my poketch was beeping and I saw that the caller was Claire, "This can't be good," I muttered as I answered the call.

"Hey Claire, what's up?" I asked.

"_I need you girls to investigate the strange disappearance of Karen_," Claire said sternly.

"Wait….Karen? As in Karen of the Elite Four?" Leaf asked surprised.

Claire nodded, "_She hasn't been heard from in over two weeks and we're becoming concerned_."

"We're on it," I said and ended the call.

"Talk about bad timing," Misty muttered.

We all nodded, "Do you have anything that can help?" I asked Max.

He and Lizzy smirked, "I might have something," he teased as he had Kirlia teleport us back to our small headquarters at the house.

"Dawn if you do the honors?" Max asked as he gestured to where my storage locker was.

The gang looked confused but I nodded. I walked to wall and placed for my hand to be scanned along with my eyes and typed in my password.

"_Welcome back Miss Berlitz_," the computer voice announced.

"Care to explain what's going on?" Leaf asked.

"Well, Max and I decided to create some gadgets for you guys. He did most of the work, I just helped design what some of them look like," Lizzy explained.

I looked inside the locker to find a compowder like May's, a barrette with a Buneary on it, a small, heart shaped backpack, the cable bungee belt, infrared sunglasses, and the earbud communicator with a new design.

"So I can see the cable bungee belt, the earbud communicator, and the sunglasses, but what are the other gadgets?" I asked as I picked up the compowder.

"That," Max said as he gestured to what's in my hand, "is going to become your new best friend."

I raised an eyebrow, "What does it do?" I asked.

"It changes your appearance, scans any clue imaginable, connects to all data bases, can tell people's bio signs, and a bunch of other features," Max explained proudly.

I was both eye brows in surprise, I clicked a button and a beam of light hit me to change my outfit to a azure blue catsuit of sorts.

"What is this?" I asked.

"When I was making May's, I decided to make everyone one and I had to talk to Clair about it, don't worry, Lance doesn't know. Anyway, she said that your outfit needed an upgrade and catsuits/jumpsuits are the new protocol," Max explained.

I inspected it and sighed, "It's not bad, guess I'll just have to get used to it," I said tiredly as I changed back to what I was currently wearing.

I then picked up the barrette and looked at Lizzy, "Let me guess, you designed these," I guessed.

Lizzy nodded and smirked, "Yup, it may look cute, but it's deadly. When push the center, it turns into a boomerang buzzsaw."

I raised my eyebrows again in approval as I put it down and picked up the backpack, "What is this?" I asked as I inspected it.

"Jetback," Max said and we all looked at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" Misty asked.

Max smirked and nodded, "Might help with transporting you guys everywhere."

"So we all have these small storage lockers?" Gary asked.

Max nodded, "They are placed all over the room."

"Did you trick the house out when they were building it?" I asked.

Max shrugged, "Maybe?" he said slyly.

I sighed and shook my head, Misty and Leaf's lockers were on the same wall as mine while the guys' were on the wall perpendicular to us. After having been scanned and typing in their passwords, the computer voice welcomed them and displayed their gadgets. The girls had the same ones as me thought their clips showed Azurill and a Cherubi.

The guys had a couple different gadgets than we did. They had a wallet, sunglasses that looked different from the infrared ones, earbud communicators in the same new design, contacts, and a snowboard of sorts.

"So what do we have here Max?" Gary asked as he picked up the wallet.

"It's the same thing as the compowder the girls have, the design is different because I'm pretty sure you don't want it to look girly," Max teased.

Paul picked up the sunglasses, "Those look different from the ones the girls have," Ash commented.

Max nodded, "They are, these can hack any computer you look at," he explained causing us to look at him in surprise.

"Sweet," Ash said excitedly as he picked his own up.

"What's the snowboard?" Drew asked.

"It's a hoverboard," Max explained causing us to look in shock.

"You invented those too!" Gary exclaimed.

"Is there anything you haven't invented yet?" Leaf asked.

Max tapped the side of his face in thought, "I'll get back to you on that. Also, you have more gadgets than this and you all have the same except with a different design. It all depends on what your missions are," he explained.

We nodded in understanding as Lizzy looked as her poketch, "Max, we better get going, the trial starts in five minutes!"

Max nodded, "If you see May, please tell her we'll get there when we can," Drew said looking guilty.

Max nodded and gave a small grin, "Don't worry about it, May will understand, just make it when you can."

Kirlia then teleported Max and Lizzy out, "Well, we better get a move on, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can get to the trial," Misty said.

We nodded and suited up, I changed back to my catsuit and Leaf and Misty did the same, Leaf's was green and Misty's was a golden yellow. The guys were all black but had outlines that were their color, Drew's was lime green, Gary's was purple, Ash's was red, and Paul's was a deep blue.

We grabbed our gadgets and made our way to the beach where we would split up, the guys were going back to La Rousse where D.O.R.C. headquarters was stationed while the girls and I had to fly to outskirts of Ecureak City where Karen lived.

"We'll see you later," I called as the girls and I activated our jetpacks and started to fly to our destination while the guys went to theirs.

* * *

(May's POV)

We drove to the front of the court and Jonathon helped me out. The press immediately flocked us much to my disappointment. Thankfully, Jonathon helped pushed them away as we climbed up the steps to get inside. We then walked to the courtroom and sat at our table with Mr. Peabody already there. While both lawyers talked for a last minute prep, I looked around to see Max and Lizzy there, but not the gang causing me to worry and feel a little saddened. Max looked at me and pointed to his poketch. I nodded in understanding and waited for him to explain. I then got the message saying that the gang got called up for a few missions and they would try to be back as soon as they could.

I turned around and nodded in understanding as everyone else took their seats. I then noticed that on the jury was the head of the Pokemon Centers causing me to slightly panic, "May, are you okay?" Jonathon asked.

"Not really, the head of the Pokemon Center's is on the jury, she doesn't like me," I said worriedly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"She don't like it how I help heal pokemon like Nurse Joy because I'm not technically one so she likes to make my life miserable by making life hectic for Nurse Joy and me," I explained.

"Don't worry about it, just stay calm and focus on the trial," Jonathon advised. "We'll do our best to try and convince the others on the jury."

"All rise for the judge," Officer Jenny called.

We did so and saw Judge Edwards come in and we took a seat, "Today, we're here for the case of Solplex Research Facilities suing Maybelle Maple on the charge of destruction of the Ropex Formula. Is the prosecutor ready?" the judge asked.

They stood up, "Yes, your honor," they called.

"Is the defendant ready?" the judged asked.

Jonathon stood up, "Yes, your honor," he said.

The judged nodded, "Time for the opening statements, defendant, you have the floor."

Jonathon nodded and went to the floor, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here for a case of greed. My client is being charged three million dollars for destroying a formula that could inflict pain and death on pokemon. Where is the justice in her paying a huge amount of money for trying to protect pokemon from being inflicted with a painful virus. She did a duty to protecting pokemon everywhere. What if your pokemon caught this virus and you had to endure their anger, pain, and sadness and that there was no cure for it. My client has done you a service, please remember that."

Jonathon stepped down and the prosecutor, a Mr. Nesbit, walked to the floor, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here for the justice of Solplex Research Facilities. Their property was destroyed for no reason by Miss Maple and I can assure you that she did it for selfish reasons. She has a record of destroying property, assaulting people, and causing the nations multiple expenses for these 'missions' of hers. All Solplex asks is that she pays what is rightfully due in destruction fees so that they can fund their research to help improve the lives of people and pokemon everywhere," he said firmly. "I would like to call on Witness One."

I then saw Max walk up to the stand and was sworn in before sitting down, "Would you please state your full name and date of birth?" Mr. Nesbit asked.

"Maxwell Thomas Maple, August 4th, 2003," Max stated.

"What is your relationship to the accused?" Mr. Nesbit asked.

"Younger brother," Max answered.

"Now Max, you have an incredibly high IQ for someone your age. You sometimes help research facilities with understanding formulas and theories, is this right?"

"Yes,"

"And one of things you helped figure out was the Ropex Formula, was it not?"

"Yes," Max answered causing some whispers to be heard in the audience.

"Would you tell us who hired you?"

"I was asked by an online think tank to figure out what the actions of what the Ropex Formula would have on pokemon."

"Would you tell the court what you did?"

Max nodded, "I was hesitant to use an unknown formula on any pokemon so I take small samples of cells instead and add the formula to them to see the reaction. The results were horrifying. The samples showed of an intense emotional trigger causing stress, which overworked the samples of cells. The samples eventually died from it giving me the conclusion that this formula was dangerous and I told the think tank to destroy it."

"But you never tested it on a pokemon itself so how could you deem the formula dangerous?"

Max frowned, "If I see something that hazardous to pokemon, I deem it dangerous even if it hasn't been fully tested."

"So you don't know if it is harmful to pokemon?"

Max frowned again, "Well…..?"

"Answer the question Mr. Maple, is it a yes or no?" Judge Edwards asked.

"No," Max answered unhappily.

"No further questions your honor," Mr. Nesbit said as he took a seat behind his table.

"Mr. Randel, you may question the witness," Judge Edwards called.

Jonathon nodded and walked over to Max, "You said you have done work for research companies and think tanks in the past, have you come across other bad formulas doing this?" Jonathon asked.

"Yes."

"So you have seen a bad formula before?"

"Yes".

"And from this, you make the judgement that any formula you test is dangerous from experience in seeing the harsh results?"

"Yes."

"Would you please elaborate?"

Max nodded, "I have seen formulas that I rejected before that companies put through and the results are terrible so I feel inclined to believe in my judgement if a formula has bad results."

"What would be one of these formulas?"

"K22 or the Strength Pill," Max said causing whispers to appear.

"No further questions," Jonathon said as he walked back to his seat.

"Mr. Maple you may leave the stand," Judge Edwards called.

Max nodded and walked back to his seat next to Lizzy.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

The guys and I arrived at D.O.R.C. Headquarters, "Dawn is right, they really do need to change their name," Ash commented.

"Ashy-boy, focus," Gary sighed as we walked in to meet the CEO, Mr. Roboto.

"Thank you so much for coming," he said gratefully.

"Can you show us where the crime happened?" I asked.

"Of course," he said quickly and directed us to follow him.

"What was the function of the computer chip that was stolen?" Paul asked as we walked.

"It's supposed to the latest chip that can access anyplace on the web once plugged into a computer. It also has twice the RAM of the latest computer chip," he explained.

We then reached a set of metal doors and the CEO typed in the password to get in. He then left us to our own devices and we started to look around.

"Nothing's really out of place so it must have been the work on a pro," Ash called.

Gary put on the glasses and started scanning the computer, "It seems this computer's been hacked in the case of downloading important online databases."

I put in the contact lenses and started looking for anything that popped, I looked over to the left and noticed some sort of powder on the floor.

"I think I got something," I called as I picked up a little of the powder and placed in on the scanner of my wallet.

"That's strange," I said as I read the list of chemicals picked up off the metal.

"What's strange?" Paul asked as the guys walked over.

"This powder is Totter Chip residue," I reported.

"Awww…..I loved Totter Chips, they were so good," Ash complained hungrily.

We stared at him at him incredulously, "Do you not know how bad those things are for you?" Paul asked.

Ash just looked confused causing us to sigh, "Those things had enough sodium in them to put your kidneys out of commission," Gary said sternly. "That's why they were recalled in the first place."

Ash still argued that they were good causing an argument between the two to break out making Paul and I to sigh, "Morons," Paul muttered before turning to look at me. "Are there any places that still sell that crap?"

"Well find out," I said as I started up a search. "But it'll take a while, might as well go to the trial."

Paul nodded, "Oi, idiots, we're leaving," Paul shouted.

They kept arguing causing us to sweat-drop, "Let's just leave them here," I said tiredly.

Paul nodded and we left for the courthouse.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

I have to give Max some credit, these jetpacks were awesome and we soon arrived at Karen's home.

We landed and went to knock on the door. Dawn tapped it lightly only for the door to squeak open, "Karen, are you in here?" Leaf hollered.

"Looks like no one's here," I said as I flipped the lights.

"Guess we better split up," Dawn said.

We nodded, "I'll take down here. Dawn, you take upstairs. Leaf, you take outside," I directed.

They nodded and went to their areas. I put on the sunglasses and started to sweep the place for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing stuck out so I went to the kitchen and swept the room.

"_Hey guys, you better come up here_," Dawn said concerned.

Leaf and I climbed the stairs to the bedroom Dawn was in and saw a few specks of blood on the floor and spilled bottle of medicine pills. Dawn started to take a sample of the blood and had it tested to see if it was Karen's while I looked at the pill bottle.

"The pills are typical pain killers," I called as I looked at the spill tablets.

"Let me see that," Leaf said and I handed her the bottle.

She took a pill out and looked at it, "These pill looks funny," she said.

"How can you tell?" Dawn asked.

"There's no number pressed into it," Leaf said concerned. "Better send these in for testing."

"Well the blood isn't Karen's, my guess is that there was a struggle and the attacker got cut or something," Dawn theorized. "We'll test the blood against the PHPA criminal database, but it will take some time."

I looked at the side table and Karen's pokeballs, "We should see if her pokemon are okay," I said.

Leaf and Dawn nodded and we went outside, I released them to reveal Weavile, Spiritomb, Absol, Honchkrow, Houndoom, and Umbreon.

They looked around panicky before noticing us and started to growl, "Hey, hey, calm down," Leaf said gently. "We're not gonna hurt you, we were just wondering if you know what happened to Karen?"

They calmed down but still had their guard up, "Umbreon um umbreon," Umbreon said. (We don't know, we haven't been let out in a while.)

"Hmm…..Houndoom, do you have a pretty good sense of smell?" Leaf asked.

He nodded, "Could you tell by sniffing something if it was friend or foe?" Leaf continued.

"Rrrrr," he said uncertainly with a nod. (Depends.)

"Follow me," she said as she led her upstairs.

"You guys are probably hungry," Dawn said knowing. "Let's see if there's anything in the kitchen?"

She then walked into the house leaving me with the pokemon, "Absol?" he asked cautiously. (Who are you?)

"My name is Misty, I'm an agent for PHPA, the Pokemon and Human Protection Agency," I explained. "My friends, Leaf and Dawn, along with myself were asked to find Karen since no one has heard from her in two weeks."

They nodded, "Did anyone have any problems with Karen?" I asked.

They shook their heads, "Um mbreon on," he said. (She was respectful to everyone.)

"Did anyone come see Karen the last day you were let out?" I asked.

They nodded, "Weavile wea vile vile, weavile weavile. Weavile vile vile wea, vile vile weavile," Weavile explained. (She was challenged to a battle, I was the last pokemon out to fight. I won against a Zangoose and it seemed that Karen knew who the challenger was."

"Hmm…." I said thoughtfully as Dawn came out with some pokemon food in bowls.

Leaf soon followed with Houndoom, "He said the scent was familiar to a trainer that Karen last battled," she reported.

"Weavile also said that it seemed Karen knew the challenger," I added.

Dawn frowned, "So someone she knew attacked her and kidnapped her."

Leaf and I nodded grimly, "I hate it when it comes down to that," Leaf muttered as we returned Karen's pokemon after they finished eating.

Dawn brought out her compowder to contact Claire, "_Hey girls, what did you find out_?" she asked.

"For one thing, she wasn't home and the door wasn't locked. We swept the house and discovered a small stain of blood on the floor in her bedroom along with Leaf finding that the pills in her pain killer meds to be suspicious because there is no number imprinted on it," I reported.

"We also sent samples of both to the lab for analysis," Leaf added.

"We also have Karen's pokeballs to give you," Dawn finished. "We fed them but we figured that it would be best to send them to you."

Claire sighed, "_Well, this isn't good. Since you can't do much else, you are off the hook til testing is done_," she said.

"Hey Claire, why do we have to wear catsuits now?" Dawn asked.

"_They are more practical_," she explained. "_It looks like Max gave you your compowders, I must admit I was impressed with some of the gadgets he wanted me to approve of for you girls. If only he worked with the tech people here_."

"I highly doubt that since Lance gives Max and May a lot of grief for what they do," I said flatly.

Claire sighed, "_I don't blame them, I have days where it's hard to work with him myself. I'll send an Alakazam to pick up the pokeballs. In the meantime, standby_."

Dawn ended the call and Alakazam appeared, "Alakazam, do you mind teleporting us to the place I'm thinking?" Leaf asked.

"Ala," he said with a nod and we found ourselves behind some bushes a block away from the courthouse.

We used our compowders to change our clothes into some decent clothes consisting of dress pants, flats, and a dressy top before we stepped onto the sidewalk with our backpacks to see Paul and Drew, "Hey guys," Dawn called.

They stopped and looked at us, "Where are Ash and Gary?" Leaf asked noticing that they weren't with them.

They looked at each other and muttered, "They got into another pointless argument again, didn't they?" Leaf asked flatly.

The boys said nothing causing Leaf to sweat-drop, "I swear, those two," she muttered.

I turned to look at the courthouse to see a bunch of reporters, "Guess we aren't going through the front door," I muttered.

"How do we get in otherwise?" Dawn asked as Ash and Gary came running up behind Paul and Drew.

"Thanks for abandoning us!" Gary snapped.

Drew shrugged and flicked his hair, "We didn't want to bother your oh so important argument," he said sarcastically.

Paul pulled contacts from his pants pocket, put them in, and looked at the building, "We could sneak in through the side window, there is no one there."

We nodded as we snuck our way over there, the girls and I pulled out our cable bungee belts and we all snuck in. We walked down the empty hall to where May's trial was and snuck into the seats behind Max and Lizzy.

"About time you showed up," Lizzy whispered in a hiss without taking her eyes off the witness stand.

"What did we miss?" I asked.

"They questioned me and a scientist heading the research facility, now they're questioning a scientist running tests using the formula on pokemon," Max said as we saw the scientist step down to return to his seat.

"The court calls Maybelle Maple to the stand," the prosecutor announced.

We all tensed up as May walked over to the stand.

* * *

(May's POV)

After I was sworn in, I took a seat, "Miss Maple, you have quite a renowned reputation. You've become a Top Coordinator in all four regions by the time you were sixteen, have continuously helped people throughout the world for five years, won the World Gymnastics Competition this past May, have a few hit singles, and donate to many charities throughout the world," Mr. Nesbit said. "Is all of this true?"

"Yes," I answered plainly.

"You're also the Guardian of Arceus?"

"Yes," I said hoping that he would get to the point.

"Would you say that's a lot of power for a seventeen year old to have?"

"Objection your honor, that question does not pertain to the case," Jonathon called.

"Sustained," the judge called.

"Sorry your honor, one can't help but ask," he said curiously. "It's not every day that a human is granted the power of a legendary pokemon."

Can't help my ass, you're just like a blood sucking reporter, "Now, did you destroy the Ropex Formula and its research?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, "Yes."

This caused murmurs to appear around the room since I basically admitted to the crime.

"When you destroyed it, were you thinking of doing it for the purpose of protecting pokemon?"

"Yes and no," I stated.

"Choose one answer Miss Maple, is it a yes or a no?" the judge asked.

I sighed, "No."

"You see ladies and gentlemen, she admits that she destroyed the formula and its research without thinking of protecting pokemon which shows she did it for selfish reasons," Mr. Nesbit stated. "Therefore she should take responsibility for her actions and pay the fee for the damages she has caused."

I wanted to slap the jerk and I looked in the back to see the gang looking ticked, Drew and Max just looked furious.

"Would you say that you destroyed the formula for selfish reasons along with other charges that have been brought against you?" Mr. Nesbit asked.

"Objection, that information is irrelevant to this case!" Jonathon called with a twinge of annoyance.

"Sustained," Judge Edward called.

"No further questions your honor," Mr. Nesbit said as he took a seat and Jonathon had the floor.

"Mr. Nesbit says that your actions for destroying the formula were selfish, would you tell the court why you destroyed the formula?" Jonathon asked.

"I did to protect the lives of my friends, my pokemon, my brother, and myself," I stated causing murmurs to appear.

"Would you please elaborate?" Jonathon asked.

I nodded, "A criminal escaped from prison and threatened my brother to give them the formula. He didn't know what to do so he told me what was going on. That resulted in my Glaceon getting beaten up badly. I tried to help my brother and the criminals beat up my Lucario and Blaziken in response. So in order for the villain not to get the formula, it had to be destroyed."

This caused several murmurs, "So let me get this straight, you destroyed the formula to protect your loved ones because you knew that the criminals would carry out their threat," Jonathon summarized.

"Yes."

"Ladies and gentlemen, my client did what she did to protect her brother and her friends from the threat that was over them so she felt she had no other options. Destroying the formula meant the safety of her friends and brother," Jonathon argued as he faced the jury.

He looked back at me, "Would you tell the court who wanted this formula?"

"Hunter J and the sub-commander trio from Team Galactic," I said causing talk to appear in the room as everyone knew how dangerous the criminals I just named were.

"Order in the court!" Judged Edwards shouted as he banged his gavel.

The room then became quiet, "No further questions your honor," Jonathon said as he took a seat.

"Your honor, the prosecution would like to question the witness again," Mr. Nesbit called.

"Proceed," Judge Edwards called causing me to silently groan, time for this jerk to twist my words.

"Now you said you destroyed the formula because these criminals wanted it, but if I recall correctly, Hunter J only stole pokemon for profit and Team Galactic wanted to create a new world by controlling the legendary pokemon. Why would they want a Ropex Formula if it was created as a virus?" he asked.

I inwardly smirked at the slip up, "I would not know, I did what I did to protect the ones I care about."

"So you think it's okay to destroy private property on the grounds that it will save your brother and friends?"

Crap, "Yes."

Mr. Nesbit looked at the jury, "The accused admits that it was okay to do the destruction of my client's property for selfish reasons."

I really want to punch this guy right now, "Now Miss Maple, tell the court what happened after you destroyed the formula?"

Crap! "I went to sleep since all this happened around 2:00 in the morning and I had school the next day."

"So drugging yourself and your brother with an experimental coma drug called XSC39 wasn't what you did after you got back from destroying the formula and erasing all its research?" he asked with a small smirk causing me to slightly panic.

How the hell am I going to get out of this?!


	8. The Verdict

**_September 15th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

"Objection, this information does not pertain to the case!" Jonathon shouted.

"Overruled," the judge called.

Crap, crap, CRAP, "No," I answered plainly.

Nr. Nesbit looked at me with a frown, "So you are saying that didn't drug yourself and your brother?"

"Yes."

"But you did, did you not?" Mr. Nesbit asked in annoyance.

"Objection you honor, Mr. Nesbit is badgering my client!" Jonathon shouted in anger.

"Sustained, the court will not take into account anything with the XSC39 drug," the judge called.

"No further questions your honor," Mr. Nesbit said through grit as he sat down.

Jonathon then took to the floor and we grinned at Nr. Nesbit's slip up before Jonathon faced the jury, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, moments ago, Mr. Nesbit asked my client why the mentioned criminals want a formula that was a virus. He admitted that the Ropex Formula is a virus giving my client reason to believe that formula would be best off destroyed."

He then turned to face me, "Did Mr. Nesbit admit when questioning you that the Ropex Formula was a virus?"

I smirked slightly, "Yes."

"Objection your honor!" Nr. Nesbit shouted.

"Overruled," the judge called.

"No further questions," Jonathon said as he took his seat.

"Does the prosecution call for any other witnesses?" Judge Edwards asked.

"No your honor," Mr. Nesbit called.

"Alright then," Judge Edwards said as he adjusted his glasses. "Time for closing statements."

I took to my seat and listened as both Nr. Nesbit and Jonathon gave their closing statements, "The jury will have until tomorrow morning to declare a ruling, court is dismissed," Judge Edwards called and banged the gavel.

I sighed, "You did good May, really good," Jonathon said proudly as he, Mr. Peabody, and I stood up.

"I'm glad that I looked convincing," I said with a small grin as we left.

Jonathon then helped me into the car and we drove back to Drew's house. When I arrived I saw everyone waiting out in front, "I'll see you tomorrow morning May."

"See you tomorrow," I called as Jonathon shut the door and had the driver drive off.

I was then captured in a hug by Drew, "You did great," he murmured before kissing me.

"Thanks, I just hope that the jury bought it," I said worriedly before smirking. "It was their own fault for slipping up that the formula was a virus."

"We're sorry we came late," Dawn said apologetically.

"I understand, Max texted me before the trial that you guys had missions," I said understandingly. "By the way, what were they?"

"The guys have to get back a stolen computer chip and the girls and I are looking into the disappearance of Karen of the Elite Four," Leaf explained.

I frowned, "Was Karen kidnapped?" I asked.

"Looks that way, but we won't know for sure til the results from the lab come back," Misty said.

Two beeping noises then broke the conversation, "Speak of the Giratina," Dawn muttered as she pulled out her compowder and Drew pulled out his wallet.

They both started tapping buttons, "I take you have your results now," I said with a smirk.

They both nodded and Dawn frowned, "What's up?" I asked her.

"Leaf was right about those pills looking funny, the drugs in the pill bottle were barbiturates," she reported.

"So I guess that means that someone premeditated her kidnapping," I said.

"But how would the kidnapper switch out the meds?" Leaf wondered.

"I'm not such, but I guess the next place to go is the pharmacy in Ecruteak City where the meds came from," Misty said.

The girls nodded, "You want to come May?" Dawn asked.

I shook my head, "I'm beat, I think I'll take a short nap before dinner."

"No problem May," Leaf said understandingly as the girls changed into their catsuits.

"_Gardevoir can you come here for a sec_," I asked telepathically.

She then appeared next to me, "You mind teleporting the girls to where I'm thinking?" I asked.

She nodded and the girls disappeared, I turned to face the guys, "So where are you all off to?" I asked.

"To some small convenience store in Len Town," Drew said.

I nodded, "Gardevoir?" I asked.

She nodded and soon the guys disappeared as well, "Thank you," I said with a small smile.

"_How was the trial_?" she asked.

"It was tiring, we'll hear the jury's verdict in the morning," I said. "I'll let you on your own, I'm off to take a nap."

Gardevoir nodded and teleported me up to my room, I lay down and immediately conked out.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

Before I knew it, we were in Len Town, "Thanks for the head's up," Paul muttered.

"Where's the convenience store from here ?" Gary asked.

I typed in the coordinates and it gave me a map, "It's a few blocks from here," I said.

"Food…," Ash muttered dreamily.

"Dude, knock it off," Gary muttered as he slapped him on the upside of the head.

"Hey!" Ash shouted as he rubbed the back of his head.

"If you two morons start another pointless argument, I'll murder the both of you," Paul threatened.

That shut Ash and Gary up making me sweat-drop, we are ssooo the best of friends.

A few minutes later, we walked in and Ash immediately started going after the food causing me and Gary to sweat-drop, "Who gets Ash duty?" Gary muttered.

"I'll just get him," Paul muttered as he went after Ash.

Gary and I just shook our heads and made our way over to the cashier, "Excuse me, we have a few questions to ask you," I said courteously.

"What can I do for you kids?" the guy asked.

"Has anyone been buying Totter Chips recently?" Gary asked.

"Totter Chips?" the guy asked to clarify. "Well, to be honest, I'm surprised some people will still eat those."

"You're not the only one," I mutter as I saw in the corner of my eye Paul dragging Ash by his collar over here.

"But has there been anyone?" Gary asked again.

The guy started to think, "Well now that you mention it, there is this one guy that comes around and buys a bag," he admitted.

"What does he look like?" I asked.

"Oh early thirties, black hair, well-built, almost six foot," the guy described.

"Do you have security footage from when the guy last came in?" Paul asked as he looked at the security camera by the door.

"Yea, follow me," the guy said as he lead us to a back room with two small TV and a video player.

He put in a tape and fast-forwarded it and stopped at the guy, "That's him," the cashier said.

I felt that he looked familiar, but I couldn't put a name to the face, "Is anyone here?" a guy hollered.

We looked the TV screen with the live security feed to see that guy that we were looking for, "Act normal when he pays, we don't want him to know that we're here," Paul directed.

The cashier nodded and went to the counter, "Sorry to keep you waiting, I was checking stock in the back," he lied.

"Hmph, whatever," the guy muttered as he paid for his chips and walked out.

We then walked to the front as the guy left, "Thanks for the help," I called as we left.

We then started to keep our distance as we followed the guy. He walked into an abandoned building causing some red flags.

"We better split up," I said as I put the contacts in again.

The guys nodded and did the same before we split off, I went in the same way that the guy did and saw nothing in the musty place.

"_Nothing on the roof_" Ash reported.

"_Nothing in the back_," Paul grunted.

"_There's absolutely nothing_," Gary called.

"Same, let's meet in the middle," I called.

We meet in the middle puzzled, "Where did the guy go, he couldn't have just walked away," Gary muttered.

Suddenly the floor opened up and we fell down a shoot to land in a heap on the floor below, "Well, well, well, looks like I was being tailed," our target said with an evil grin.

"I told you," a woman's voice called as she walked up.

I looked around and saw two people attached to the wall causing me to look in shock, looks like we stumbled onto something bigger than we thought.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

Gardevoir dropped us off a few blocks from our location and we quickly walked inside, "Excuse me," Dawn called as she got ahold of a pharmacy tech. "Do you mind answering a few questions?"

"Go for it," the tech said pleasantly.

"We're wondering if you remember anyone picking up these meds," I said as I gave the tech the pill bottle.

She looked at it, "Hmm….I do remember a woman picking up two bottles of these a few weeks ago," she recalled.

"What did she look like?" Misty asked.

"Hmm….late twenties, short red hair, killer figure, five foot seven," the tech said.

I mentally groaned, the description was too vague to be of help.

"Hang on a second," the tech called as she disappeared.

A couple of minutes later, she came back with a piece of paper with the woman's picture on it, "This is her," she said.

"Thanks," Misty said as we left quickly for a nearby park and Dawn pulled out her compowder.

"Let's see if we can identify our mystery person," Dawn muttered as she took a picture and pressed a button for the compowder to start a search for a match.

A few minutes later, we found a match, "Says here that her name is Sham, but her real name is Chermaine. She has a criminal record from her past from when she was a teen, but otherwise she's clean," Dawn reported.

"Do you think she's fallin' back into the criminal ways?" Misty asked.

"It's hard to say, this scenario doesn't fit any of the past crimes she's committed," Dawn said as she skimmed the file.

"If she drugged Karen, do you think she's after someone else too?" I asked.

"What makes you say that?" Misty asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, the pharmacy tech that she bought two bottles," I said.

"Well, maybe she had a headache?" Dawn guessed.

"I doubt that," I muttered as I got out my compowder to call Claire.

"Hey Claire, has anyone else not been heard from in a while?" I asked.

"_Not really, everyone else been checked in except Will, but he said that he wouldn't be reachable for a few days_," Claire said before looking suspicious. "_Why do you ask_?"

I shrugged, "Just a hunch, thanks Claire," I said as I closed the compowder to prevent any further questions.

"You think that this 'Sham' woman went after Will?" Misty asked.

"Well, she did buy two pill bottles," I pointed out.

"Leaf, she could have bought some for herself," Dawn said tiredly.

"Okay, before you toss my theory out, can you see if there is a connection between Karen and Will?" I asked.

"Ugh, fine," Dawn groaned as she typed on her compowder.

A minute later her annoyed face when to her thinking face, "Whatcha find?" Misty asked.

"Apparently Karen, Will, Sham, and this guy named Carl knew each other when they were younger and Team Rocket took them in to be sub commanders, but they all left because they didn't want to be a part of it anymore," Dawn reported causing me and Misty to look surprised.

"I did not see that coming," Misty admitted.

"I told ya!" I shouted.

"Alright calm down," Misty muttered.

"We should check to see if Will is okay," I suggested. "Claire said he hasn't checked in when he said he would."

Dawn typed on her compowder, "Will's residence is outside of Len Town."

"Hey, isn't there where the guys were heading?" I asked.

The girls nodded, "Let's go check out Will's place and see what we can find," I said as we changed into our catsuits and activated our jetpacks.

After twenty minutes, we reached Will's house and didn't find anything except the same pill bottle by Will's bed with the barbiturates.

"You guys want to say something?" I asked with a grin.

Misty and Dawn looked at each other groaned, "Fine, you were right," Dawn muttered.

"The question is though, where are they being held?" I asked in thought.

"Hey, what's that?" Misty asked as she pointed behind me.

Dawn and I looked to see where she was pointing to see some form of powder on the ground, she took a sample of it and placed it on her compowder.

"This is getting weirder," Misty muttered.

"What is?" I asked.

"This powder, it's Totter Chip residue," she said.

"That can't be a coincidence," Dawn said.

"So both our missions are dealing with the same person?" I asked in thought.

"It seems that way, but I can't make the connection," Misty muttered.

"Me either," Dawn agreed.

"Let's call the guys and see if they found out anything," I said as I tried to call Gary but got no answer.

"That's strange, he didn't pick up," I muttered.

"Paul and Ash didn't either," Misty and Dawn reported.

"Guess we'll have to hunt them down," I huffed as I imputed Gary's coordinates into my compowder causing me to frown. "That's strange, there nearby in the city."

"Let's go find them," Dawn called as we reached outside and activated our jetpacks.

We flew for a few minutes before we got close, "Apparently, they're in that abandoned building," I said as I pointed ahead.

We handed on the ground and walked inside to find nothing. Suddenly the floor disappeared and fell through screaming. We landed in a heap and I saw Will and Karen attached to a wall and the guys in the corner with their hands and feet tied together.

"Girls, look out!" Gary shouted.

We turned and gasped as a heavy cage fell from the ceiling trapping us in, "So we have even more spies to deal with," a woman's voice called.

We turned to see Sham and some guy grinning evilly, "Care to explain what's going on here?" I asked annoyed.

Sham shrugged, "Why don't you tell us what you know?"

I shrugged, "Fine." I challenged. "You, him, Karen, and Will used to be leaders of Team Rocket in this region til you all broke away. I'm guessing you want to restart Team Rocket and wanted Will and Karen to join, but they refused to join up with you. After your pokemon battles with them, you snuck into their houses and switched out their meds for barbiturates to drug them except Karen wasn't quite knocked out when you tried to kidnap her. So you both fought and she cut you with the knife you tried to attack her with before she fully knocked out. How close am I getting?" I asked with a grin.

Both Sham and the guy frowned but said nothing so I continued, "After kidnapping Karen and Will, you sent your friend here to steal the newest hacker computer chip from D.O.R.C. headquarters and you plan to use in on the PHPA computer to find out the locations of the Team Rocket Elite and start up Team Rocket again and force Karen and Will to join you," I summarized.

Sham and the guy glared while everyone looked at me in shock for figuring it out.

"Well, looks like we need to get rid of you three since you all figured it out," Sham snapped as she pulled out a remote and pushed a button.

Suddenly spikes appeared inside the cage and started to come towards us causing us to gasp, "Have fun girls," she called as Sham and guy walked out laughing evilly.

Think Leaf, think! "Did this cage fall from the ceiling?" I asked.

"Yea and it weighs more than Aggron meaning we can't lift it," Dawn snapped.

"We can't, but our belts might be able to," I said as I quickly wrapped the heart a few times around the bar in front of me and aimed the heart at the ceiling.

"Quick, tie your belts around a corner aim for the ceiling," I shouted.

Dawn and Misty did as I said and aimed their hearts, "Ready…..NOW!" I shouted as the hearts hit their mark and I pressed a button on the belt to start reeling in the cable making the cage life up.

We then rolled out as our belts gave way and the cage thudded to the ground, "Nice one Leafy," Gary shouted as we made our way to the guys and undid their ropes.

We then helped Karen and Will down only for the nine of us to suddenly be surrounded by thirty grunts, "Great," Dawn snapped.

"_You didn't think we'd let you go scott free did you_?" Sham asked over an intercom. "_Sorry to leave you, but we have a computer to hack_."

"Now what?" I muttered.

"Need a hand?" I familiar voiced asked.

We looked and smiled, "May, how did you know we were here?" Misty asked in surprise.

"Max detected your adrenaline levels extreme high and said I should investigate, guess he was right," May said as she came down from the ceiling.

"Who are you?" a grunt asked.

May chuckled, "I think you can figure that out on your own," she said with a smirk.

She then used Psychic on all of them and threw them into a nearby corner, "Pikachu, mind helping me out?" May asked.

"Pika!" it shouted as it leapt into the air and used Thunderbolt on them knocking them out.

"Thanks Pikachu," May called.

"Pika," he said with a grin as he scampered back to Ash.

"You guys better go after them," May called.

"You coming with?" Misty asked.

May shook her head, "I'm still winded from the past few days and I don't think I have the energy to put up with Lance yelling at me as to why I'm in 'his' territory."

"Good point," Drew agreed.

"I'll help with getting Karen and Will to a hospital. You guys get going," May called.

"Gotcha, see ya later May," I called as we left through the tunnel that we fell through earlier.

We flew to headquarters, snuck in, and were currently hiding in the rafters of the main part of the agency. We looked down to see that Lance and Claire were tied to chairs as Sham and the guy, whose name was apparently Carl, were on the computers.

"So what's the plan?" Misty asked in a whisper.

"Half the group deals with stopping the hacking while the other half stops Sham and Carl," Drew planned.

"I'm up for that," Dawn agreed. "We can take the duo and you guys can deal with the computer chip."

The guys nodded and walked on the rafters til they were right above the computer. The girls and I attached our hearts to the rafters and counted to three before swinging down surprising everyone.

"How did you escape?" Sham shrieked.

"We had some help," Misty said with a grin.

"Ugh, time to get rid of you," Sham snapped as she and Carl charged at us.

Dawn took on Sham and Misty took Carl while I went to the Claire and Lance to untie them both. The guys then came down and started to mess with the computer and stopped the hacking along with removing the chip.

We then surrounded Sham and Carl, "Give up already, you're outnumbered," I called.

"Never," Sham hissed as she and Carl used a grappling gun type thing and started to slide up.

Dawn took off her barrette and activated it before throwing it at the cables. The buzz saw then cut through them causing Sham and Carl to fall as Dawn caught the clip and clipped it back into her hair.

"Way to accessorize," I praised.

Dawn beamed, "Just doin' what I do best, better thank Max big time when we see him next."

We nodded as Claire and Lance took control of the situation and called for agents to arrest Sham and Carl. Lance took the chip from the guys and said that he would take care of its return.

Misty's compowder then beeped and she opened it to reveal May, "_Did you guys catch 'em_?" she asked.

"What kind of a question is that?" Drew teased.

May stuck out her tongue childishly, "_I take it that all is now well_?" she guessed.

"Duh," Dawn emphasized as she rolled her eyes. "How are Karen and Will?"

"_They're stable, they'll be in the hospital for observation and rest for a few days, but they should be fully recovered when they are released in a few days_," May reported.

"That's good to hear," I said relieved. "We'll see ya back at the house."

"_See ya_," May said as she ended the call.

"What are you using?" Lance asked suspiciously.

We groaned and took deep breathes ready for the argument that we were about to engage in.

* * *

(May's POV)

After ending the call, I had Gardevoir teleport me back to Drew's house and I used my compowder to change into some sweats before putting on the hoodie that Drew left in the room that I was staying in.

I walked into the main hall to see Lizzy, Max, and Lizzy's parents, "You're back already?" Max said surprised.

I nodded, "I just had to help them escape from a huge group of grunts, otherwise they were doing fine," I reported. "They went to stop Sham and Carl from hacking PHPA while I admitted Karen and Will into the hospital."

"Pfft, those losers probably couldn't hack their way out of a 1980 baseball computer game," Max scoffed.

"Well not everyone can hack into anywhere at any time they please," I retorted.

"How was the trial?" Jennifer asked interrupting our argument.

"It went well, but we'll find out the jury's verdict tomorrow morning," I explained.

Lizzy's parents nodded before they walked off somewhere, "Is that Drew's hoodie you're wearing?" Lizzy teased.

"Yea, so?" I said raising an eyebrow.

Lizzy smirked, "I don't recall Drew saying you could wear it," she teased again. "Besides, I don't see the point in wearing a guy's hoodie."

"When you get a close boyfriend, you'll understand," I said knowingly as I patted her on the head.

"Stop that," she whined as she smacked my hands away and covered her head protectively.

I laughed as she tried to smooth her hair out, but was having a little bit of difficulty, "What's going on here?" Drew asked as he noticed that Lizzy looked ticked and I was smirking.

"I was trying to tell her that she would understand a certain concept when she gets a boyfriend, "I explained. "Then I frazzled her hair."

"The girl wearing her boyfriend's hoodie concept?" Misty guessed.

I nodded, "Yeah, you wouldn't understand it til you have a boyfriend," Leaf agreed.

The guys just looked at us, "Are we missing something here?" Gary asked.

Leaf shrugged, "I don't know about you all, but I'm up for a movie marathon," I said with a smirk.

"Count me in," Dawn called as she changed out of her cat suit to some sweats and baggy t-shirt.

Leaf and Misty did the same and we started walking toward Drew's game room, "Did we just get ditched?" Drew asked.

"If you recall grasshead, I didn't say anything about you guys not joining us," I hollered with a smirk.

It took about five seconds before the boys changed, snuck up behind us, and grabbed us from behind.

"AH!" we shouted from surprise.

"Geez, why not give us a heart attack," Leaf muttered.

Gary buried his face in her neck before kissing her cheek, "I couldn't give you a heart attack, you love me too much," he teased.

"You just keep telling yourself that," Leaf huffed as red splashed across her cheeks.

Gary smirked as he picked her up and draped over his shoulder, "Garrison Samuel Oak, put me down now!" Leaf shouted as she pounded her fists against his back.

"Sorry Leafy, no can do," Gary teased as he took off for the game room with Leaf shouting for him to put her down.

I just shook my head in amusement as I watched them disappear. Ash then did the same causing Misty to gasp before she started shouting for Ash to put her down as well.

"We have the weirdest of friends," I smiled.

"You don't have to tell us twice," Dawn agreed with a smile.

"We better get going to make sure Leaf and Misty don't murder them," I said knowingly.

Dawn nodded in agreement and before we could take a step, we received the same treatment just like Misty and Leaf did, "Paul, what the hell!" Dawn shouted. "Put me down!"

"Sorry, no can do Troublesome," Paul said with a smirk.

"Screw you," Dawn muttered as he left for the game room.

"Seriously grasshead?" I asked.

I could sense him smirking, "Might as well join them," he teased. "Though I might let you walk of your own free will if you tell me what you and the girls were talking about earlier."

"Seriously?" I asked. "You really want to know?"

"Take it or leave it," he said.

I laughed, "Fine I'll tell you, but would be so kind as to put me down."

Drew did as I asked and I pecked his cheek in thanks, "On the list of things that makes a girl happy, one is when her boyfriend gives her his hoody," I explained.

Drew looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "I'm not joking, girls like it because it's a sense of security wearing their boyfriend's clothes making them feel like they're with their guy. It also comforts girls and makes them feel secure and the smell of their boyfriend's cologne from it calms a girl's nerves." I stated.

"Do you agree with those statements?" Drew asked with a smirk.

I gave him an 'are-you-serious' "Do you not see me wearing your hoodie?" I retorted as I pointed to myself.

"Yes, I do, but I want to hear you admit it," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, I like wearing your hoodie because it gives me a sense of security and it smells like you. You happy now?"

Drew then kissed me fully catching me by surprise, "You tell me," he teased. "Also, it's yours."

I smiled and kissed him again, "Now you can understand why I told Lizzy she wouldn't get it til she got a boyfriend," I explained.

"Do all girls that have boyfriends believe that?" Drew asked.

"Yea, it's like one of the top ten things to make your girlfriend happy and I'm sure Leaf, Misty, and Dawn will agree. The reason we didn't say anything when Gary asked is because we just don't like proclaiming it to the world," I explained. "It's more of a private thing."

Drew nodded as we entered the game room to see Dawn snuggling into Paul while Misty and Leaf were arguing as to what we were gonna marathon on.

"A perfect picture of normality, wouldn't change it for anything," I sighed happily as Drew hugged me from behind and kissed my cheek in agreement.

* * *

**_September 16th (La Rousse City, Hoenn)_**

I woke up the next morning and quickly changed into a red silk, short sleeve, empire waist top, black dress pants, and my black flats yesterday.

I decided to curl my hair slightly and put it in a low ponytail. I was putting on a necklace when I heard a knock on the door, "Entrer," I called in French.

I heard the door open and smiled as I sensed who it was as they walked behind me, "Bonjour belle," Drew whispered in my ear as a rose appeared in front of my face.

"Aren't you a flirt this morning," I teased as I took the rose from him and smelled it.

"It's my job," he teased as he kissed me. "You ready?"

I sighed as I trimmed the stem and placed the rose in my ponytail, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Drew gave me a small smile, "Don't worry, everything will work out in your favor."

He took my hand and walked with me to the dining room where everyone was eating.

"Morning May," Dawn called with a smile.

"Mornin'," I called as I grabbed a waffle and put some berry sauce on it.

I then heard a signal beep coming from my compowder causing everyone to stare at me, "It's not a call, it's an email," I said trying to calm everyone down as I opened it and read it.

I then closed it before I sat down to it and still felt everyone staring at me, "It was nothing bad, just an email from Steven saying that I'm caught up with all the homework."

This caused everyone to be relieved, "That's good, at least you'll be caught up when you come back Monday," Leaf said with a small grin.

"Thank goodness," I muttered as I took a sip of my milk.

I finished the last bit of my meal when George came in, "Miss Maple, Mr. Randel's car has just arrived."

I looked at my poketch, "Jonathon's timing is impeccable as always," I commented before looking at George. "Thank you George."

He bowed and left as I stood up and walked for the front door with Drew walking with me.

"We'll see you there," he promised. "Nothing will stop us this time."

"Don't jinx it," I teased before I kissed him and left for the car.

Eventually we made it to the courthouse and sat at the table from yesterday. The judge then appeared and I breathed in deeply waiting for this to end.

"Will the defendant please stand," the judge directed.

I stood along with Jonathon and Mr. Peabody.

The judge then turned to face the jury, "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The head Nurse Joy stood up causing me to feel nervous, "We have your honor," she stated. "We find the defendant not guilty."

That's all I heard and I immediately relaxed and smiled, I hugged Jonathon and thanked both him and Mr. Peabody for defending me as Nurse Joy continued to read the verdict.

Officer Jenny then walked over and asked for me and Jonathon to meet with the judge and the head Nurse Joy in a few minutes for a private meeting. Once the room cleared out, Jonathon and I followed Officer Jenny to a small room where Judge Edwards and Nurse Joy were waiting.

"What's this about?" Jonathon asked.

"It has come to my attention that this is your third time in court for some charge having to do with these missions you have and there must be some punishment," Judge Edwards stated.

I sighed, I figured as much and waited for him to continue, "I don't think jail time is a good punishment for you so Nurse Joy here has come up with a proposal."

I froze, oh Arceus help me, "Your punishment would be that you are suspended from working in any pokemon centers for the next week and in take time you will study for a test on this book on Monday the 25th," she explained as she handed me a thick heavy book.

My eyes widened at it, it was a copy of the Nurse Joy's medical book containing medical information about people and pokemon, it's almost 1000 pages long.

"If you fail this test, you will be forbidden to help in any pokemon centers ever again," she said sternly.

I just looked at her big eyed, "This is my punishment?" I asked.

"Yes," the judge said. "This works for me."

"As it does for me," Jonathon agreed.

The judge nodded and signed a paper before having me sign it as well, "Good luck Miss Maple," he said before he and Nurse Joy left.

I took the book and left with Jonathon, he dropped me off in front of Drew's house and I trudged my way up the steps.

George let me in and I found everyone in the parlor, "Why do you look like someone died, you won!" Leaf said excitedly.

"That's not what I'm upset about," I groaned.

Everyone frowned at me, "What's wrong?" Max asked.

"This," I said as I handed him the book.

"Care to explain?" Drew asked as I took a seat next to him.

I leaned forward and rubbed my face in my hands before explaining, "So since this is my third time in court due to some charge and not being found guilty so I need to have some sort of punishment. Nurse Joy decided that being suspended from working in pokemon centers for a week and studying this book for a test on the 25th would suffice as punishment."

"That's not so bad," Dawn pointed out.

I gaped at her, "It's almost a thousand pages long and if I don't pass this test, I'll be forbidden in helping in pokemon centers ever again."

Everyone just looked at me, "She can't really threaten you like that," Misty said jokingly.

"Misty, she is the head of the pokemon centers, she hates me. No doubt she thought my face of fear as amusing," I said exasperated.

"Relax May, you can do this, no need to worry," Dawn said with a smile.


	9. Testing and Planning

**_September 23rd (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

Maybe there is reason to worry.

"Troublesome," Paul said as he snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked dazed.

"That is the third time you've been in la-la land," Misty said annoyed. "What's up?"

"I'm worried about May, has anyone seen her since yesterday after school?" I asked.

Everyone frowned, "Now that you mention it, we haven't seen her after that or at all today and it's 10:30 at night," Leaf agreed.

"We better check on her," Drew groaned as he got out of his chair.

We followed him upstairs, we stood in front of May's door and heard soft mumbling, "Hey May, you doin' okay?" Drew asked.

She didn't answer and Drew tried to open the door, but discovered that it was locked.

"May, open the door," Drew said a little louder.

She didn't causing me to sigh, "Step aside," I muttered as I grabbed a bobby-pin from my hair.

I broke it in half and picked the lock to open the door, Drew walked in first and gasped, "Geez…."

We all stepped in were in equal shock, papers, diagrams, and notes were spread out all over the room. May was pacing back and forth while muttering to herself and taking a sip from a mug before a look of displeasure crossed her face as she continued to mumble.

"It looks like a tree barfed in here," Ash commented.

May didn't look up as she continued to mumble and pace, "Oi, Miss Doctor, anyone here?" Misty hollered.

May stopped and glanced at us before looking at us fully, "When and how did you guys get in here?" she asked as she walked to her desk with a coffee maker on it.

"Uh….. just now and I had to pick the lock," I explained before looking at her concerned. "You okay?"

"Oh yea, peachy," she muttered as she took a sip from her mug and grimaced in displeasure.

"What are you drinking?" Gary asked.

"Coffee, stuff tastes terrible," May said with disgust as she placed the mug on her desk.

"Then why are you drinking it?" Misty asked.

"I need the caffeine to stay awake," she muttered as she walked to a part of her room and started to pick up a few pages of notes and started pace again.

I frowned, "Dare I ask how long you've been awake?" I asked.

May stopped and looked up to start counting on her fingers, "Over forty hours, had to start drinking that disgusting crap around 7:00 this morning. Ugh, my head kills," she muttered as she reached a bottle of painkillers and swallowed two of them.

"How many cups of coffee have you had?" Leaf asked hesitantly.

"Working on my seventh now," May said as she went back to looking at her notes.

We just gawked at her, "How are you not dead?!" I spluttered as she walked to a wall that had a diagram of the human skeleton.

"It'll take more than this to kill and I'm not stopping either, I still have a fifth of the material left to study," she said as she pointed out bones and muttered their names. "Thank Mew I already knew a third of the material before I even started studying."

"So you haven't slept at all?" Drew asked.

"Nope," May said as she popped the 'p'.

The girls and I looked at each other, "Time for an intervention," Leaf muttered as she walked up to May and dragged her from her notes.

"Hey!" May protested.

"Sorry Doctor, you have been doing malpractice on yourself and you are banned from studying," Leaf called as she continued to drag May.

May then started to fight back causing me and Misty to try and drag her away, "Guys, find Gardevoir's pokeball?" I shouted as I tried to help pull May away.

"Why?" Paul asked.

"Don't ask, just do it!" I snapped.

He looked at me with raised eyebrows, but the guys did as I asked soon Gardevoir appeared and did Hypnosis on May, "Order her to go to the bathroom and take a shower," I told Gardevoir.

She nodded and gave the order. May then acted like a zombie and walked to the bathroom. I quickly then ran around her room and grabbed some clean clothes for May to change into and had Gardevoir teleport them into the bathroom.

"Gardevoir, you better guard the door and keep tabs on May," I said tiredly.

She sighed and nodded in agreement as she left to do her task, "That girl, she takes studying for a test to a whole new level, she's now worse than you Leaf," I muttered as I looked at all of May's notes and diagrams.

"Tell me about it, but then again, this is practically a medical school exam and those things are a living hell to study for," Leaf pointed out.

"This is still insane as to what May is studying, look at this, how to identify blood types in pokemon," I read.

"This one is pokemon diseases and cures," Misty called.

"This one is medical terms, good Mew," Ash spluttered. "I can't even pronounce even a fourth of these."

I looked at the list, "Huh, Otolaryngology," I said correctly before turning to look at something else.

Everyone just looked at me, "It's a person who studies a person's ears, nose, and throat," I explained.

They still gawked at me causing me to roll my eyes, "I had a lot of ear infections and throat infections as a kid, had to see a specialist."

"Oto…Otolar….I give up," Ash muttered as he put the paper down.

"May sure got into detail with her diagrams," Drew commented causing us to look her skeleton, muscle, and nerve diagrams.

"No kidding," Gary muttered.

Gardevoir then appeared in the doorway, "She just finished and she's breaking away from my hold."

Leaf sighed, "Figured she'd do that," she said. "Keep an eye on her, we'll be out in a second."

Gardevoir nodded and left, "Drew, you might want to find Butterfree," I said.

He sighed, "I'd better."

We then heard the door open in the hall and we looked to see May, "You feel any better?" I asked.

"Yea, but now it's back to studying ," she said determined.

"No, it's time for you to go to bed," Misty said sternly.

"Sure mom," May said sarcastically as Drew appeared with Butterfree.

"Hate to do this May," Leaf said as she snuck up behind and pressed a pressure point on the crook of her neck to knock her out. "Better douse her with Sleep Powder just in case."

Drew sighed and ordered Butterfree to use Sleep Powder, I yawned, "Time for bed," I muttered.

"Who's gonna watch May?" Misty asked.

Drew picked her up bridal style, "I better do it, she'll listen to me."

I didn't really believe that, but he probably would have a better time making sure she would get sleep than any of us.

Everyone said their 'goodnights' and we split off to go to bed.

"Piplup?" Piplup asked as I got into bed. (Think May will be okay?)

"If she gets some sleep she will, otherwise she'll be incredibly tired when she takes that test," I muttered with a yawn as I let my head hit the pillow and fall asleep.

* * *

**_September 25th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

I woke up and noticed that I wasn't in my room or in my clothes from studying. I was wearing some sweats and was lying in Drew's bed. I turned to look left and saw Drew sleeping peacefully. I looked over the other way and saw that the time was 2:00 AM Monday. I stared at it in shock. Crap! I've been asleep for over twenty-four hours, is that even possible?!

I felt Drew's aura to see that he was in deep sleep. I smiled, kissed his cheek, and placed a rose on the pillow next to him before I snuck out and made my way to kitchen. I grabbed some berries, left over takeout, and two water bottles before I crept up to my room to finish studying. I finished studying at around 5:30 and decided to try and get some meditation in before I went back to the house. Thankfully, there are no classes today because it's the day for everyone to plan before the camping challenge. Apparently Steven thought it would be better to do it earlier this year.

I changed into some yoga pants and a tank top before sneaking out for the beach that was a couple minutes away. I sat on the sand and focused on the sound of the ocean waves as I meditated. As time went by, I felt the sun's heat as it rose. After I thought I meditated enough, I just sat there and watched the sunrise along with the waves of the ocean.

"How long have you been up?"

I smiled as I felt Drew sitting next to me, "Since 2:00."

"Seriously, how are you not tired?" he muttered.

"Well I did sleep over twenty-four hours and you can only sleep for so long," I pointed out.

"Why did you study for that long?" Drew asked.

"I didn't have much time, we did have the senior class battle tournament on Friday," I reminded.

"I guess," Drew agreed before looking at me. "You ready for the test?"

I sighed, "It doesn't really matter whether I say I'm ready or not, I studied as much as I could, that's all that counts."

Drew gave a small grin before he kissed me, "You'll ace that test, I know you will."

I rolled my eyes, "Well if you say that I will pass this test, then it must be true because you know all," I said sarcastically.

"But of course," he teased as he flicked his hair.

"Egotistical jerk," I muttered with a small grin as I playfully shoved him over and ran away.

I didn't get very far and he grabbed me from behind, "Ah! Drew, let me go!" I shouted.

"I don't see why I should," he teased.

"Come on Drew, I need to get ready to take my test," I whined. "What do you want from me?"

"You can figure it out," Drew whispered huskily into my ear causing me to shiver.

I rolled my eyes and shifted around so that I was facing him. I brushed my fingers through his hair as I kissed him and he responded by holding me tighter.

"We need to go out more," I muttered into his chest after we finished making out. I missed these moments of intimacy with him like this.

I felt Drew's chest rumble with laughter, "We don't out as much as we would like," he agreed as he kissed my temple. "We'll go out after we get back from the challenge."

"It's a date," I teased as I pecked his lips one more time.

I then looked the time on my poketch and freaked, "Crap! I only have an hour before the test!"

I then ran back to the house dragging Drew by the hand. After getting to the house, I pecked his cheek and raced to my room to get ready.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I was sleeping peacefully when I heard a bunch of talking and running around causing me to grumpily wake up. I looked at the clock to see that it was 7:30, who is the freaking idiot that make this much noise when everyone's trying to sleep! I sat up and got of bed. I felt my hair to feel that it was sticking up all over causing me to grumble and try to tame it in a messy ponytail.

I then went downstairs to find Drew and May in the kitchen, "So you're the one responsible for waking up," I accused with a pointed finger.

May looked at me in concern, "What?" I asked annoyed.

"Your hair is sticking up all over and you're not freaking out, are you sick or something?" May asked as she felt my forehead.

I swatted her hand away, "Quit it, I'm not sick. I'm just too peeved to care," I grumbled.

"Well in any case, sorry for waking you up, I'm running late for my test since Drew held me up," May said with a glare as she looked at him.

"If I recall, you enjoyed the hold up as much as I did," he retorted with a smirk.

"Shut up grasshead," May snapped causing me to grin evilly.

I 'tsked', "For a girl who can disable a bomb, you have horrible time management when you're with Drew," I teased.

She glared, "Who says that you can pin the blame on me?"

I gave her an 'are-you-serious' look, "Out of the both of you, you're the more responsible one and you still fall to his charms every time."

"Hey!" May and Drew shouted in retort as they glared at me.

I shrugged at them, "Just sayin'," I said calmly as I grabbed some frozen waffles to stick in the toaster.

They glared before they continued to eat, May then quickly finished and kissed Drew's cheek, "See ya later guys, wish me luck," she said as she left.

"Good luck May!" I called.

"As if you need it," Drew teased.

I rolled my eyes as I went back to eating, then everyone started to trickle in to eat, "So much as for sleeping in with all this noise," Leaf muttered.

"Blame May, she woke me up," I retorted.

Misty and Leaf stared at me in surprise, "What?"

"You have bed head and you're not freaking out, you must be sick," Misty muttered as she and Leaf started to feel my forehead.

"Will you quit it already," I snapped as I swatted them away. "Why does everyone declare the world is ending when I don't do something normally, jeez you guys are a bunch of morons."

"Paul, you poisoned our best friend," Leaf complained.

"Leave him alone Leaf, he has nothing to do with my attitude," I said tiredly. "I'm just peeved when I wake up earlier than I want."

"We know that, but you don't call us morons, that's Paul's terminology for Ash and Gary," Misty pointed out.

"Hey!" Gary and Ash protested.

"Suck it up," Paul muttered.

I just rolled my eyes, "Has Steven sent out the email with the pairings yet?" I asked.

Leaf pulled out her compowder, "He did a few hours ago, looks like the emails are individual because the email isn't one that's automatically sent to the whole grade. It says that I'm paired with Misty, Ash, and Gary."

Misty raised an eyebrow, "He must expect us to be really responsible if he's doing mixed gender groups."

I nodded in agreement as I pulled out mine, "Looks like I'm paired with May, Drew, and Paul. It also says that the test is basically survival this year because we will be placed in parts of the world with dangerous terrain."

"I wonder if the switch up in plans is about teachers extracting revenge on students?" Gary wondered.

"Wouldn't surprise me, there are a lot of idiots at this school," Paul muttered.

"They also didn't list the starting places making it more difficult for us to plan ahead," Leaf added as she put away her compowder.

"Cool, guess that means we can…..," Ash started to say before Misty cut him off.

"If you say play videogames all day and pull an all-nighter, I will personally make your life miserable," she snapped.

"Heh heh, looks like you read my mind," Ash said sheepishly.

Misty buried her head in her arms that were on the table, "It's too early for me to deal with this," she moaned. "Why me?"

Leaf patted her shoulder sympathetically, "It's okay Misty, everything will be alright."

"Does anyone have any idea when May's supposed to be finished with her test?" I asked.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think she told us anything about the test. All we know is that it's about medical stuff," Gary said thoughtfully.

I mentally sighed, guess that means we'll have to wait to plan anything til May gets back. I stood up and placed my dishes in the dishwasher before going upstairs and have Piplup help fix my hair. After changing, I decided to practice with my knives so I grabbed them and made my way to the woods by the house.

"Piplup?" he asked tiredly. (Practicing again?)

"Well I'm not gonna get better if I don't," I pointed out as I placed paper targets on the trunks that were on the straight line path I would run.

Piplup just sighed and walked with me to the starting point of my "run". Basically, my training was to run a certain path with the targets randomly placed and the goal is to hit all the bull's-eyes. I started to run and threw knives every time I saw a target til I reached the end. I was on my fourth run when Paul suddenly appeared in front of one the targets as I threw a knife.

"Paul!" I shouted.

He just caught the knife between fingers and remained passive, "Are you okay?" I asked as I walked to him.

"I'm fine Troublesome," he said gruffly as he handed me back the knife. "What are you doing?"

"Practicing," I said as I started to collect all the knives that I threw.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" I asked confused.

"Why do you this?" he asked.

"I told you all before, I thought it would be best if I picked up an extra skill," I said tiredly as I continued to collect my knives.

Paul gently grabbed my wrist to stop me, "What's the real reason?" he asked.

"The first one not good enough for you," I asked in annoyance.

Paul frowned at me, "Explain."

I sighed as I put my knives away, "I don't really know why I wanted to this. I guess it started with the battle in May when I was able to form knifes and snowflake stars out of ice to throw at the enemy. I felt a sort of thrill when I did that and even after I lost the ability to do that, picking up a small knife gave me that same thrill. It was exciting and terrifying. I thought about making it a skill to help defend myself since I'm always the target to be held at gunpoint, knife point, etc. I was sick, and still am, of being the girl who gets the jab of having a cute, naïve persona defining that I'm stupid and can't do anything. I just want to be able to defend myself and prove that I'm not just a girly, goody two shoes."

"It's just frustrating!" I shouted in a mutter as I threw a knife hard into a tree trunk.

Piplup waddled up to me in concern, "I'm fine Piplup, just peeved," I said as I knelt down to pet him on the head before going to get my knife.

Suddenly I was pulled into a hug causing me to freeze in shock, "Well this is a surprise?" I murmured softly as I relaxed into the hug.

"You don't need to be frustrated over this, it's a little shocking to people who first see you doing it, but everyone accepts it," he explained. "Everything you do makes you unique and each new thing I learn about you makes me realize how lucky I am that I get to know the things that you normally don't show anyone else. If anything, it makes me feel some relief that you can protect yourself okay."

I was surprised by his words. He rarely, if never, said anything like that. I smiled softly as I kissed him causing Piplup to mutter his name and then waddle elsewhere.

"Thanks," I murmured before smirking. "So is my new skill a turn on for you?"

Paul just glared at me though a slight blush appeared, "What the hell Troublesome?!" he shouted.

I smirked and turned away while feeling accomplished that I made him blush.

I was about to walk back to the house when Paul trapped me against a tree, "If you think you can walk away after asking that, you're gravely mistaken," he grunted.

I smirked, "Whatcha goin' do about it?" I challenged.

He smirked back and captured my lips his causing me to run my fingers through his hair. So much as for getting in some practice.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

After recovering from my 'moment' this morning, I changed and decided to train with Golduck. He finally evolved over the summer making me incredibly happy.

I walked to the beach and threw his pokeball, "You up for some training?" I asked as he appeared.

"Golduck" he said with a nod.

"Alright, let's work on Psychic," I suggested.

He nodded and suddenly I felt myself floating, "AH! Golduck, not funny!" I shouted.

"Looks like you're having fun."

I frowned as I saw a grin on Leaf's face, "Does it look like I'm having fun?" I retorted.

She shrugged and smirked, "You tell me."

I rolled my eyes, "I swear that Gary influences you too much," I mutter as Golduck finally set me on the ground. "So what are you doing?"

Leaf shrugged, "Ash and Gary are playing video games, Drew is in his room, and Paul and Dawn are somewhere around here."

I then saw Piplup along the edge of the wood, "What are you doing by yourself Piplup?" I shouted. "Where's Dawn?"

Piplup looked at me and shivered, "Piplup," he muttered. (I don't want to know.)

"Well I guess we can assume Dawn's with Paul," Leaf said with a shake of her head in amusement.

I looked at her with a brow raised, "Why?"

"Piplup only looks disgusted when Dawn and Paul are making out," Leaf said with a grin.

I grinned back and nodded in understanding, "That he does," I agreed.

"You up for a battle?" Leaf asked.

"Sure, one on one?" I asked to clarify.

"Sure," she called as she tossed a pokeball. "Furret, let's go!"

Furret posed for battle along with Golduck, "You can go first," I shouted.

Leaf nodded, "Furret, use Quick Attack."

Furret then raced ahead toward Golduck, "Stop it with Confusion," I shouted.

Furret was then stopped in its tracks and thrown backwards.

"Furret, use Hyper Voice," Leaf called.

Before I could counter, Golduck got hit with Hyper Voice causing it to be thrown back some.

"Alright Golduck, use Water Gun!" I shouted.

Golduck then shot out water, but it came out more powerful than a regular Water Gun.

"Furret, use Dig," Leaf shouted quickly.

Furret nodded and used Dig to dodge the attack, "Looks like Golduck learned Hydro Pump," Leaf commented.

I nodded and smiled at Golduck, "Awesome job, use Fury Swipes when Furret appears."

He nodded and movement appeared beneath him, "Furret dodge and use Slam," Leaf shouted.

She did as told and pounded Golduck hard on the head, I smirked, "Big mistake Leaf," I warned knowingly.

Leaf looked at me confused and then frowned in understanding as that Slam helped make Golduck's headache worse, "Alright Golduck, use Psychic and lift Furret into the air."

He nodded and did as told, "Now throw it back on the ground," I ordered once Furret was high enough.

Golduck then threw Furret into the ground causing dust to appear. Once it settled, we could see that Furret had swirls in its eyes.

Nice job Golduck, return," I praised as I returned him to his pokeball.

"You did well Furret, return," Leaf said with a smile.

"We should find the boys and start planning," I said tiredly.

Leaf sighed, "Why do I get the feeling that's going to be a harder task than it sounds?"

I sighed as well as we walked back to the house, we then walked into the living room to find both of them locked in virtual combat.

I muttered under my breath as I walked behind the TV and pulled out the power cord causing the TV to shut down.

"What the hell Red!" Gary shouted angrily.

"Yea seriously Mist, I was close to kicking his ass," Ash complained.

I felt a vein throb, "I wasn't joking when I said I'd make your lives miserable," I snapped.

"And I'll happily join her," Leaf added sternly.

"Seriously girls, do we have to start planning now?" Gary complained.

"Well excuse us for caring about everyone's wellbeing," Leaf snapped. "Especially since it was you guys who planned poorly and got pneumonia."

The boys looked at each other and sighed, "Alright, since we don't want to become sick like last year, we'll start planning now," Gary agreed.

I looked at Leaf and we nodded agreement at a sudden idea, "And if we finish before too late, we'll play Zombie Wars with you," I promised.

The guys looked at us in surprise as Leaf nodded that she was willing, the guys than ran upstairs to get their laptops and we burst out laughing at their actions.

"We so have them wrapped around our fingers," Leaf laughed.

I nodded with a grin as we went to grab our laptops as well.

* * *

(May's POV)

I finished answering the last essay question and handed my test in to Nurse Joy who smiled at me, "Don't worry May, I'm sure you did really well," she assured me.

"I sure hope so," I said tiredly. "When will I know the results?"

"Tomorrow morning, Martha will call you personally to give the results," she explained.

I shuddered at the thought of the head Nurse Joy calling me, "Must she?" I asked hesitantly.

"May, she is not out to get you," she said with a light laugh.

"How is she not? That woman hates me, she's made life miserable for Nurse Joy back home ever since she started teaching me things about healing people and pokemon," I argued. "I bet she'll personally flunk me."

"May, she made it difficult to challenge you and to help you learn more than you've previously learned," she explained. "Did you learn more from studying for this test?"

"Yea, but…..," I tried to argue.

"No buts," she said firmly. "Now go back to the dorm and get ready for tomorrow's challenge."

I sighed, "Alright, see ya Nurse Joy," I called as I walked out.

I then walked outside and looked at my poketch to see that it was 6:00 PM. I quickly walked back to the house and went inside to find Gary, Leaf, Misty, and Ash playing Zombie Wars which was an interesting sight to say the least. I then smelled food coming from the kitchen and saw Dawn and Paul cooking dinner which was also weird. I shook my head at all the weirdness and walked up to my room to clean up all my notes.

While doing so, Drew walked in and sat in my desk chair, "When did you get back?" he asked.

"A few minutes ago, the weirdness from downstairs freaked me out so I decided to hide out in here," I said as I set my pile of papers in the corner of my room to deal with later.

Drew gave me a confused look, "Define weird?"

"Weird as in Leaf and Misty playing Zombie Wars with Gary and Ash while Dawn and Paul are making dinner and I could have sworn to see Paul smiling a little," I said thoughtfully.

"That is weird," Drew agreed.

"Hence why I came up here when I got back," I explained as I sat cross-legged on my bed.

"So how was the test?" Drew asked.

"I'd rather not say. If I say anything, I'll jinx myself to fail," I said firmly.

Drew tsked, "How many times have I told you that you'll pass that test," he scolded teasingly with a smirk.

I fake gasped, "What was I thinking to not believe in the all-knowing grasshead?!" I said dramatically with sarcasm while I rolled my eyes.

"Scoff all you want, you know I'm right," he said arrogantly while flicking his hair.

I then hear Dawn yell dinner and I stood up to go downstairs. I was then trapped as Drew grabbed me from behind.

"What is it with you and trapping me all the time," I whined as I tried to break free.

"Because I don't see you enough," he complained.

I forced a laugh, "We see each other every day, we live in the same house," I argued.

"I still don't see you enough," he said again as I turn around to face him.

His hold then loosed as he held me in place and I placed my hands behind his neck, "We can't do much about that," I said gently as I kissed him. "At least you're paired up with me for the challenge so you'll see me constantly for the next few days."

"Thank Mew," he muttered as he kissed me again.

I then hugged him tight before letting go, "Time to face the strangeness," I said as I pulled him to follow me.

Drew gave a light laugh as he followed me downstairs.

I looked at the table to see homemade pizza which looked really good, "Looks really good you two," I complimented Dawn and Paul as I grabbed two slices.

"Thanks," Dawn said cheerfully as she grabbed two slices herself, "How was the test?"

"I don't know and I don't really want to know," I said tiredly as I took a bite of pizza.

"Do you know when you'll get the results back?" Leaf asked.

I nodded, "Martha is going to tell me personally tomorrow morning," I said with a shudder.

Everyone looked at me confused, "The head Nurse Joy who hates me," I clarified causing everyone to nod in understanding.

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't hate you," Misty said knowingly. "She just likes to challenge you."

"And torture me," I added with a mutter before talking normal. "Why are you and Leaf playing Zombie Wars especially since you said no video games today?"

"Well, we finished planning early and we agreed to play if that happened, it's actually not that bad," Leaf admitted.

"That's because you're winning," Gary muttered.

"Alpha?" Dawn asked.

"Alpha," Misty confirmed causing me and Dawn to nod in understanding.

The guys gave us confused looks, "What the heck are you talking out?" Ash asked confused.

"Is it a cheat code?" Gary asked suspiciously.

Dawn rolled her eyes, "If you guys paid attention when playing, a number is displayed in the top left corner at the beginning of each round as its loading."

"That tells the player what district the zombie hub is," I finished explaining with a smirk.

The guys just looked at us in astonishment, "So that's how you two are kicking our butts," Ash complained.

"So not fair, why didn't you tell us?" Gary demanded.

Leaf shrugged, "You would have figured it out eventually. And as I've said before sweetie, all's fair in love and video games," she said with smirk before continuing to eat.

I snuck a glance at Gary to see a playful gleam in his eye, something tells me he'll get back at Leaf later.

After we finished eating, Drew, Paul, Dawn, and I grabbed our laptops and finally began strategizing for the challenge as well as choose which pokemon we would bring. We decided that Dawn would bring Piplup, Paul would bring Elective, Drew would bring Roserade, and I would bring Blaziken.

Once we had a pretty good plan as to what to do for the next few days, I went to my room with Drew following me.

"You okay?" I asked as I set my laptop down on my desk.

He frowned slightly as he sat on the edge of my bed, "I don't know, I just feel uneasy, as if something is bad is going to happen to you," he muttered.

"To me?" I asked as I sat next to him.

He nodded and I sensed his unease, "Drew," I said gently causing him to turn and look at me.

"Nothing bad is going to happen to me, I promise," I said sincerely as I tucked a stray hair behind his ear before letting my hand rest on the side of his face.

Drew gave a small smile as I leaned in to kiss him, he then hugged me and held me close. I said nothing as I just leaned in and let him hold me in silence.

After a few minutes, I felt him kiss my hair and pull away, "Thanks May," he said with a smile as he kissed me one last time before I yawned causing him to smirk.

"Someone's sleepy," he teased.

I stuck out my tongue, "Well pardon me for being tired, I'll still trying to get back to a normal sleeping schedule," I retorted.

"And whose fault is that," Drew teased.

"Shut up," I muttered with another yawn.

Drew chuckled as he grabbed his laptop and left for his room. I then got ready for bed when I heard a knock on my door and Dawn came in with a pile of clothes.

"Here are some clothes for the challenge?" she said as gave me the pile.

"You were able to find everything within an hour and a half?" I asked in amazement.

Dawn nodded, "Paul made sure I didn't get sidetracked at the mall," she reported.

I nodded and yawned, "You ready for tomorrow?" I asked.

She nodded, "Let's just hope the guys don't pull another all-nighter," she muttered.

"I doubt Drew and Paul will, but Ash and Gary are another story," I said tiredly.

"Point taken, but I don't think we need to worry, Leaf and Misty will murder them if they try," she said with a chuckle.

I laughed, "Without a doubt," I agreed. "Night Dawn."

"Night," she called before I shut the door and set the clothes on my dresser.

I then climbed into bed and immediately fell asleep as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

**_September 26th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

I was sleeping soundly til my compowder started to beep. I yawned sleepily to see that it was 6:00 in the morning.

I opened it, "Hello?" I asked sleepily.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're being lazy," a voice snapped causing me to shout while falling out of bed in surprise.

"Ow," I muttered as I sat up and picked up my compowder.

"You awake now?" Martha asked.

"Yup," I said with fake cheeriness as I saw Martha's picture.

"Good," she said sternly. "Now for your test results, I'm pleased to report that you passed with flying colors. The only thing I'm displeased about is that you put shock therapy instead of its proper name."

"Not all of us remember the medical names," I muttered.

"What was that?" she snapped.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

She looked at me suspiciously but let it slide, "Anyways, congratulations on passing, I'll let you get ready for your "camping challenge"," she said stiffly before hanging up.

I closed my compowder and stood up as Dawn came in looking concerned, "Did you fall out of bed?" she asked confused.

"The demon lady scared me," I muttered. "She believes that all Nurse Joys rise early and don't need that much sleep."

"Wait, so you got the results of your test?" Dawn asked excitedly.

I nodded, "I passed which is good enough for me."

"Yea!" she shouted as she attacked me with a hug.

"You sure got cheery fast," I teased.

Dawn stuck out her tongue, "I have to be excited for you as well as myself so I have to be really cheery," she retorted.

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks," I said with a smile.

"No prob, well, we better get ready since we're already up," she pointed out before she left to grab her clothes and change.

I yawned and then followed her lead. I changed into a red and white striped tanktop, somewhat thick black yoga pants, a red sweatshirt hoodie, and comfortable walking shoes before going down to the kitchen to eat and feed my pokemon. When I got down there, I saw Dawn, Drew , and Paul feeding their pokemon as well.

"So I heard you fell out of bed this morning," Drew teased.

I glared as Dawn who pulled an innocent confused face, "Because I got freaked out by the demon lady, I didn't expect her to call me that early," I argued.

"Sure," Drew said with a smirk as he walked to collect empty bowls.

Once was he out of hearing distance, I glared at Dawn again, "Hate you," I muttered.

"Love you too," she said with a grin as she continued to feed her pokemon.

I shook my head and muttered as everyone else came out and feed their pokemon.

"Did you pass the test?" Misty asked as we were eating.

I nodded, "Martha's words were that I 'passed with flying colors'. She then scolded me because I didn't name the proper medical term for shock therapy for Electric pokemon," I muttered.

"What is the proper term?" Drew asked curiously.

My face contorted as I tried to remember, I then snapped my fingers in recognition "Electroconvulsive Therapy."

"That sounds painful," Ash shuddered.

"Well it's not meant for you, it's for Electric pokemon," Misty muttered before she continued to eat.

I shook my head in amusement as we all finished eating and made our way to school. We then got to the gym where everyone got their stuff and were teleported off.

"See you guys in a few days," I said as Dawn and I hugged Leaf and Misty.

"See ya, try to avoid trouble," Leaf called.

"Same to you," Dawn shouted as Misty, Leaf, Ash, and Gary were called and handed their backpacks before they were teleported out.

"Let's hope we don't get stuck on a snowy mountain this time," Dawn said tiredly.

"We won't find out until we're teleported," I said as I suddenly heard my name.

I turned around and saw Steven, "Hey Steven," I said with a nod.

"Hey May, before you leave, I need to give you this," he said as he handed me a metal type bracelet.

"Power inhabilitator?" I guessed as I put it on.

He nodded, "Hate to make you do it, but using your powers are considered cheating," he explained.

I nodded in understanding as I put in on, "It's okay, I understand."

Steven then looked at Dawn with a hand out, "Dawn, if you please?"

Dawn played her confused face, "Please what?" she asked confused.

Steven frowned, "The knives," he whispered.

Dawn glared, "Why?"

Steven glared back, "You can do just fine without them for a few days. You should be lucky that I don't confiscate them when you bring them on campus," he said sternly. "Now if you please?"

Dawn grumbled as she pulled two from her socks, two her sweatshirt sleeves, four from inside her sweatshirt, and then one from her back.

Steven sighed as he hid them in his jacket while Drew and I stared at her incredulously and Paul sighed, "Seriously Troublesome?"

She glared at him as she rezipped her sweatshirt, "What? It's a rule of Shurikenjutsu to carry a weapon on you at all times," she snapped.

I shook my and sighed, "Dawn, you are not a ninja, you an agent and second, did you seriously need to have nine?"

She rolled her eyes, "I carry that many because I may not get some back after I throw them," she retorted.

"You're crazy," I mutter.

"As if you're one to talk Miss 'I-know-at-least-seven-forms-of-martial-arts, can-fight-with-multiple-weapons, and know-techniques-of-paralysis'," she again retorted.

I sighed, "Alright you have a point, what are you asking for, that I teach you my ways?" I asked sarcastically.

She smirked and nodded, "Dawn, you already have a well-balanced know how at how to defend yourself, why do you want to learn more?" I asked.

"Because you prove that it's useful," she argued. "Which is why you need to teach us girls your ways."

I rolled my eyes, "Let me guess, you're the one out of the three to convince me to teach you girls my 'supposed' ways?"

She nodded and I smirked, "Why not, but I can't guarantee that you'll like the training," I teased.

Dawn rolled her eyes, "I think the phrase 'no pain no gain' comes into play here," she retorted smirking back at me.

"Should we be worried?" Drew asked Paul.

Paul grunted, "We already were when Troublesome got inspired to start playing with knives," he muttered.

Dawn glared at him, "I don't see what you're complaining about," she muttered before smirking. "What happened with you admitting that it…."

He then cut her off by kissing her, "Don't," he glared when then broke apart. "And for the record, I never said anything to make that true."

"Your slight blush said otherwise," she retorted with a smirk.

He glared at her while she smirked causing me to shake my head before leaning into Drew's ear, "And everyone says we're bad."

He nodded in agreement while we watched them stare at each other. Suddenly, our names were called and we walked up front to receive our backpacks from Solidad before we were teleported off. We then looked around and I saw that we were in a valley.

"Well this'll be fun," I said with a sigh as I looked into the valley recognizing it.

"Why do you say that?" Dawn asked.

I gave a tired smile, "What's more fun than navigating through a valley that's home to a bunch of very territorial Steelix."


	10. The Camping Challenge

**_September 26th (Valley of Steel, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

"Wait…..what do you mean a 'bunch of very territorial Steelix?" Dawn asked nervously.

"Just that, we're placed in the Valley of Steel," I explained. "A lot of them live around here."

"Other steel pokemon live here as well so we need to be careful," Drew added.

"Great," Dawn muttered as I took off my socks and shoes before putting them in my backpack.

"Uh…..May, what are you doing?" Drew asked confused.

"I won't be able to see as well with them on," I explained only to have everyone stare at me as if I was crazy.

I sighed, "When I was training with the legendaries, the first one I trained with was Entei. He was blind and the first thing he taught me was to see without the use of my aura by using the vibrations of the earth to help me see," I explained. "This will help me be able to detect if any pokemon are nearby. That way we can stay clear of them since I'm the only person who has a pokemon with a huge type advantage."

"Guess you have a point," Dawn agreed.

I nodded and we began to trek through the valley, "I wonder where the others got placed?" Dawn wondered.

"They probably got placed somewhere different as well," Drew theorized. "Makes you wonder where though?"

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

We were teleported out after receiving our backpacks from Solidad. I looked around to see that we were now in a forest.

"Huh….this is weird?" Misty said puzzled.

"What makes you say that Mist?" Ash asked.

"You would think they would place us in a dangerous spot right off the bat, but here we are in a forest," Misty said with suspicion.

"You do have a point Red, last year we were all placed on a snowy mountain," Gary agreed as Misty glared at him for use of the nickname.

"Wonder how we can tell where we are?" I murmured before throwing my pokeball. "Tropius, lets go!"

He then appeared and flew into the air, "Mind flying up a bit and telling us what you find?"

He nodded before flying up, "Hopefully Tropius will stop something that will be recognizable," I hoped.

"Whatever he tells us, I'm sure it will be helpful," Misty said with a nod.

"What's this?" Ash asked as he walked up to a tree and plucked a circular green berry with red dots.

"Uh…..Ash?" I called out hesitantly and cringed as he took a bit of it.

"Hey this doesn't…bleh!" he cringed as he stuck his tongue out.

"That's a Liechi Berry," I finished.

"Figures you would just take a bite out of something that you have no clue as to what it is," Gary muttered.

"What a minute? Didn't we learn that Liechi berries grow on some island?" Misty asked.

I snapped my fingers, "Yea, Mirage Island," I said remembering.

"Didn't they also say it's impossible to get here and off the island?" Gary added suspiciously.

I groaned, "Yea, so how are we going to get off it?" I wondered.

"I'm sure Gyarados can help us out, but the question is, how do we know where to go from here?" Misty asked.

"Wyn," I heard something say.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Wyn," it said again.

I looked behind me and out popped a Wynaut, "Cool a Wynaut," I said with a grin.

"Wyn," it called as it walked toward us. "Wyn?"

"Hi there Wynaut," Misty said cheerfully as Pikachu hopped down to it.

Soon the two spoke their names happily and started chasing each other.

Tropius then came back, "What did you see?" I asked.

He trilled and said that it looked like we were in the middle of an island, "Thanks Tropius," I said with a nod before turning to face everyone else. "Guess this confirms it, we're on Mirage Island."

"Now we just need to figure out where to go from here," Misty added.

Gary nodded and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket showing the whole Hoenn region, "Way to come prepared Gare-bear," I complimented.

"But of course," Gary bragged as we looked at the map.

"Looks like our best bet is to go east and island hop all the way north til we reach Lilycove City," Ash said before looking at Misty. "Can Gyarados carry us around like that for the whole time?"

Misty nodded, "We just need to make sure we give him a break every now and then."

"Now we just need to figure out as to where East is," I said.

Wynaut stopped playing and looked sad causing Pikachu to ask what was wrong. It said that it was separated from its herd and it couldn't find its way back.

"Well help you find your herd," I promised before I looked at the Liechi Berries again and face-palmed at my stupidity. "Idiot."

"What's up Leafy?" Gary asked concerned.

"Liechi Berries grow on the Eastern part of the island," I explained. "All we need to do now is find the coast."

Tropius then trilled saying that he saw the ocean when we was flying earlier, "Mind leading us there?" I asked.

He nodded before flying up. We then followed him as I carried Wynaut concerned as to how the heck we were gonna get off this island.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

So far, we had only encountered a few Magneton and Magnemite which Blaziken quickly burned away. With May's freaky way of seeing with her eyes, aura, and feet, we were able to avoid two Steelix so far.

May then lifted her arm to stop us, "Another one?" Drew asked.

May nodded and nudged her head left meaning we needed to go right.

We avoided the Steelix and continued to walk through the valley. We then stopped for a small break to get some rest.

"Way to avoid the Steelix," I praised as we finished eating.

May sighed, "I don't know if we can really avoid them forever, but we should almost be out so maybe we'll get lucky."

We then heard a growl in the distance, "Or not," May muttered as we quickly gathered our stuff and returned our pokemon.

"May, where is the noise coming from?" I asked nervously as May stomped her foot on the ground with her eyes shut in focus.

She then opened her eyes a second later and frowned, "We have a problem," she said annoyed.

"Why do you say that?" Drew asked.

Suddenly four Steelix appeared in a semi-circle in front of us, "That's why," May said frustrated as she called out Blaziken to Fire Spin.

As Blaziken covered us, we booked it and ran. He then joined us as smoke appeared giving us some cover.

We only ran a little before the Steelix appeared and used Stone Edge, "Piplup, use Whirlpool," I shouted as I threw his pokeball.

"Piipppplup!" he shouted as he threw Whirlpool to counter Stone Edge.

The force of impact was great knocking both me and Piplup over a nearby ledge, "DAWN!" everyone shouted.

* * *

(May's POV)

Dawn screamed and I dove over the edge after her, "Please work please work please work," I muttered in prayer as I summoned my aura in the shape of wings while still diving down to her. Dawn placed Piplup on her head and reached both arms out to me. I grabbed them and opened my wings to soar back up. We rose up to see that Paul and Drew had called out Elective and Roserade, but they weren't doing much damage while Blaziken was getting exhausted.

I quickly set Dawn on the ground, "Piplup, use Hydro Pump," she shouted as I started to throw Aura Spheres rapid fire.

The attacks hit sending the Steelix back some and we booked it after we quickly returned our pokemon til we were out of the valley about ten minutes later.

Suddenly Dawn and I were attacked with a hug by Paul and Drew which we gladly returned, "May, what the hell were you thinking?!" Drew said angrily.

"Well I couldn't let her fall now could I," I retorted before turning to look at Dawn. "You alright?"

"A little shaky, but otherwise I'm okay," she said in slight shock.

"You better sit down," I said as I plopped down on the ground. "The adrenaline will wear off soon."

She just sank down on the ground, "Too late," she muttered as Paul and Drew sat down next to us.

"I think you have some explaining to do," Drew said with a frown as Dawn and Paul gave me looks as well.

I sighed, "Okay, first off," I said while showing my power inhabilitator, "This only cuts down my powers to a minimum, it doesn't control my aura. My aura is a separate power of its own, it can't be controlled the same way as trying to control my other powers. A separate power inhabilitator is needed for that."

"Okay, then what about the flying? You said when you were training that you could shape wings, but you couldn't fly," Dawn pointed out.

I nodded, "I didn't think I could til Articuno kept telling me that I would later learn to fly and apparently, he wasn't kidding. I decided to try it while training this summer and I could fly for like twenty seconds before I felt my aura drain away and I had to stop. It takes a lot of aura to be able to create wings and fly so it's a cool ability but with a limit. The most flying time I've been able to manage from training right now is about a minute and a half to two minutes," I explained.

Everyone nodded in understanding and amazement, "Next time, please tell us before you go diving off cliffs," Drew said tiredly.

I gave a small smile and pecked his cheek, "I promise," I agreed as I took his hand and squeezed it.

"Let's hope the others are having a better time than we are," Dawn said tiredly as she rested her head on Paul's shoulder.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

I grit my teeth as I held onto Gyarados, we've been battling whirlpools for the past twenty minutes and I could tell he was getting tired.

"Come on Gyarados, we're almost out!" I shouted encouragingly as we tried to keep dodging the whirlpools.

He roared in determination and kept plowing through. After a few minutes, we finally got out of the whirlpools' reach and started to make way toward a small island that was in the distance.

"I could really use a hot spring," Leaf shivered through chatted teeth as she held onto one of Gyarados' fins.

"You'll be fine Leafy, my body heat will suffice much better than a hot spring," he teased as he sat next to her and hugged her close with one arm while still holding onto a fin with his other hand.

"Pervert," Leaf muttered as she snuggled in closer.

"You doin' alright Mist?" Ash asked.

I nodded and sighed, "I'm fine, if we stayed near those whirlpools for much longer, we would have been swallowed in. I just hope that Gyarados can make it to that island," I said worried.

I felt Ash take my hand and squeeze it, "I'm sure we'll make it and we'll rest for the night before we try to do anymore traveling over water."

I smiled and squeezed back as we continued to make way toward the island. After over an hour, we finally made it and I returned Gyarados for a much needed rest. It was still light out and we decided to look around the island for any berries that were editable. We found some Lum and Mago berries before finding a decent place to make camp.

Leaf was still shivering and began to sneeze, "Looks like you're the one that's sick this time," Gary teased gently.

"Sh…sh…shut….*achoo*…up," Leaf snapped with a sneeze as she sat on the ground and hugged her knees.

"You guys go look for firewood," I ordered as I rummaged in Leaf's bag for her sleeping bag.

As I dug through I was surprised to find an extra change of clothes with a note from Solidad saying that we might need it.

"What did you find?" Leaf asked.

"Apparently Solidad packed you an extra set of clothes," I said as I tossed them to her before getting out her sleeping bag.

I then looked inside my backpack found some extra clothes as well, "Thank you Solidad," Leaf praised as we quickly changed into bermudas and a tank top.

I wasn't complaining, at least it was dry clothes. Gary and Ash then made their way back with firewood as I was wringing out my wet clothes.

"Where'd you get the change of clothes?" Ash asked as Gary called out Arcanine to start a fire.

"Apparently Solidad was kind enough to pack us some," I explained as Arcanine sat down behind Leaf much to her happiness and she sat against him.

"He's so warm," she murmured contently.

Gary frowned at Arcanine, "Thanks for stealing my girlfriend," he complained.

Arcanine just huffed paying no mind and laid its head on its paws.

"You guys go elsewhere and change so we can start drying our clothes," I ordered as I whispered something in Arcanine's ear.

He nodded and I opened up Leaf's sleeping bag to drape over Arcanine to warm up as the guys left. Leaf then sneezed again causing her to whine, "Why me?" she groaned.

"You're just prone to getting colds from getting wet or cold," I said knowingly.

"Ugh, this stinks, Gary's probably gonna make fun of me for the rest of the trip," she complained.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm pretty sure Gary won't do that."

Leaf yawned and then sneezed again for the umpteenth time as the guys came back. I took off Leaf's sleeping bag and zipped it up before placing it close to the fire.

"Crawl in Leaf," I told her as I took a step back.

"I don't want to move," she moaned as she crossed her arms refusing to budge.

I sighed, "Do it now or I will go to extreme measures to do so," I threatened.

Leaf grumbled and stood up, "Oh bite me," she snapped tiredly.

"If you say so," Gary said teasingly as he got close to her neck causing Leaf to jump to the side freaked.

"So not what I meant," she snapped tiredly as red appeared on her face and she crawled into her sleeping bag.

She then sighed happily at the warmth and was out like a light, "Thank goodness," I muttered tiredly as I started to dry our clothes. "It always amazes me to see how many colds that girl can get."

"She got them a lot when she was younger, it was almost like she was sick every other week during the winter back in Pallet Town," Ash explained.

"No kidding, she's never been fond of the cold at all," Gary added as he sat down next to Leaf and moved some of her hair to behind her ear.

"Speaking of cold, I wonder if everyone else got placed on the mountain or if they got placed elsewhere?" I wondered.

"Guess we'll just have to ask them when we see them in a few days," Ash decided.

I nodded as I finished drying the majority of everything before starting to get dinner ready from the stuff in our backpacks.

* * *

**_September 27th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

We were making good progress as we were walking through the forest and we seemed to have recovered well from the scare yesterday. I still found it hard to believe that May could actually fly, even if it was for a short time. It must be an amazing feeling.

I cringed slightly as the pain in my stomach started to get a tad bit worse. It was weird, I wasn't hungry when we had a late lunch five hours ago so I didn't eat and then my stomach started to hurt an hour ago. I made sure that I didn't show any pain because that would cause us to stop and at this point, I just wanted to get back to school.

I felt a suddenly pin prick of sorts and flinched slightly while stopping which Piplup saw, "Piplup?" he asked quietly so no one else heard.

I nodded and gave a small smile, "I'm fine, no need to worry," I said with fake cheeriness.

He gave me a skeptical look before shaking his head and we ran to catch up with everyone else though each step caused the pain to hurt a little more. Okay then, no more running.

May then turned to look at me with concern seeing me and Piplup catch up to them, "You okay?" she asked.

I nodded with a fake smile causing her to just frown, curse her ability to read people's emotions.

"You sure?" she asked to clarify.

"Yup, no need to worry," I said with fake cheeriness.

She gave me a look, but left me alone much to my relief. About two hours later, the pain was getting worse and it was almost impossible to not show I was in pain.

We were walking by a river when suddenly a Feraligatr and a Swampert that appeared to be doing battle. "Wonder what's going on?" I wondered.

"Must be fighting for this territory," May said before frowning. "I'm more curious as to why a Feraligatr is in this region?"

Suddenly they noticed us and then shot a double Water Gun at us, "Great, now we're their target," Paul muttered annoyed as he tossed his pokeball. "Electivire, stand by for battle."

"Roserade, let's go," Drew shouted as he tossed his as well.

"Use Thunder," Paul ordered.

"Use Petal Dance," Drew shouted.

Both attacks hit, but caused little damage. They retaliated by using Hydro Pump, "Protect," Paul shouted as Roserade went behind Electivire.

"Piplup, use Ice Beam," I shouted.

He chirped and shot Ice Beam only for Swampert and Feraligatr to counter with Water Gun. The Water Guns soon overpowered Ice Beam sending Piplup back from the force of the hit causing me to catch him in my stomach hard which then smacked us into a tree behind me. The force of the impact hit my stomach causing a huge amount of pain to erupt causing me to cry out in pain.

Piplup jumped out of my arms and looked at me in concern as I keeled over gripping my stomach while being hit with sudden nausea. I then turned to side and vomited as tears fell down my face.

"Piplup!" Piplup shouted in huge concern before running over to May and tapped her leg with his beak.

She looked at him as he pointed at me causing May to look at me in major concern, "Blaziken and Piplup, Bubble Beam and Fire Spin," May shouted as she then rushed over to me.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried.

I just shook my head as I covered my stomach in pain while holding back tears, "Dawn, lie down, it'll help," May said gently as she rubbed my shoulder.

I just shook my head, I didn't want to move fearing that it would cause more pain. May sighed and I noticed that the battle had finished and everyone had now surrounded me, "Dawn, it'll help, trust me."

I took a deep breath and lay down like she said, "You've been trying to hold up a brave face for the past hour, what's going on?" May asked as Piplup walked up to my head looking really worried.

"I don't know, my stomach was starting to hurt and then when Piplup and I crashed back into that tree from that attack's impact, it just hurt like hell," I said trying to calm myself down.

May placed a hand on my forehead and looked at where I'd thrown up, "You didn't eat anything this afternoon, that's probably why you're sick," Paul said gruffly.

I shook my head, "You don't get this bad of a pain from not eating and I'm still not hungry," I protested.

"You have a slight fever," May said concerned.

She then raised her hands above of head and they glowed blue, she then guided them down to my feet, but stopped to look at my lower right more closely.

"Where does the pain hurt the most?" she asked once she stopped.

"It was at my middle, but it's hurting more towards the bottom right," I said as I winced when another wave of pain shout through me.

May looked worried, "Have you ever had your appendix out?"

I felt myself begin to panic and myself go into shock, "No, but it can't be that," I protested as I suddenly sat up causing pain to shot through me causing me to scream and protectively cover my side.

"Dawn calm down, panicking is not going to help," May said with a slight snap. "Now gently sit up and hug your knees, it'll help with the pain slightly."

I did as told and placed my forehead on my knees as I began to slightly shake with sobs, "Piplup," Piplup murmured sadly as he patted one of my legs.

I then felt Paul sit next to me and drape his arm around my shoulder carefully while kissing my temple.

* * *

(May's POV)

As Piplup and Paul tried to calm Dawn down, I was worried, really worried. Appendicitis, if the reason, is something not to be taken lightly, it could lead to death if we didn't get Dawn to a hospital soon.

"Roserade, you mind using Aromatherapy?" I asked.

She nodded and did as I asked, "Will it help?" Drew asked in a whisper.

I sighed, "It'll help calm Dawn down, but it won't heal her condition. At this stage, they would try to treat it with antibiotics, but we're in no location to get that or have the stuff for me to try to make it. So our best chance is to get back to Lilycove as soon as we can and admit her to a hospital for surgery," I explained.

Drew frowned and looked worried same with our pokemon who heard me explain, "If we don't get Dawn to a hospital soon, she'll have a ruptured appendix and soon die afterward."

The pokemon looked at me in shock since they don't really understand the different diseases of the human body, but they could understand the meaning of death well enough.

"What do you mean?" Roserade asked. "Can't a berry heal her?"

I sighed, "It's not that simple. Appendicitis is when the Appendix becomes blocked or infected. As I just said, they've recently started treating people with an antibiotic if they detect it being Appendicitis early to avoid the use of surgery, but it's still unknown as to whether Appendicitis can come back at a later time. I would try to give Dawn that, but we're in the middle of nowhere and I can't make an antibiotic with what's around here so the next thing to do is surgery, something of which, I am not really comfortable or capable of doing because the Appendix needs to be taken out. When infected or blocked, it fills with pus which infects the body. If the Appendix bursts, then the poison will be released all at once causing death within a very short period of time."

Everyone looked concerned even Drew, "What worries me most is that Dawn took a huge impact from Piplup hitting her stomach, it might leak more poison," I said worriedly.

Drew sighed, "We can't do much now, we might as well make camp for the night and keep an eye on her. We'll leave first thing in the morning and try to get back as fast as we can."

I nodded in agreement, "Why don't you try to find some firewood, I'll find some water."

Drew nodded and kissed me before going off and looking with Roserade, I then turned to Blaziken, "Stay here, I'll be back."

He nodded and I grabbed a pail from my backpack and went to the nearby stream. After filling it, I went back to camp to see that Drew had Blaziken get a fire going. Paul was able to get Dawn to move into her sleeping bag and sat next to her looking passive, but I could tell he was worried more than anything.

I got out a bowl and filled it with water, "Piplup, do you find using a small Ice Beam?" I asked.

He nodded and did as I said freezing the water, "Thanks Piplup," I said as I formed an aura knife and started to hack at the ice to chip it into pieces.

I put some in a cup and gave it to Dawn, "Chew on this, it'll help satisfy your hunger."

She nodded and started to chew a little. I started to make dinner while Drew fed the pokemon. After the soup was simmering, I poured it into bowls for us to eat.

"Shouldn't Dawn eat some as well?" Drew asked in a whisper as I sat next to him.

I shook my head, "We need to keep her stomach empty in case of surgery," I explained in a whisper.

Drew shook his head in understanding and continued to eat. After we cleaned up and Dawn fell asleep, we all divided up the time to take shifts in keeping an eye on Dawn. Paul agreed to take first watch so Drew and I crawled into our sleeping bags and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

**_September 28th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

(Leaf's POV)

We were making pretty good time despite me being sick. We were currently walking along the beach by Mossdeep City and would reach Lilycove in a couple of hours. I was greatly excited that I would be able to soon take a nice, long, hot shower when we got back. I shivered again as the wind hit me and sneezed.

"Bless you," Gary called.

I moaned and threw a shaking fist in the air, "Curse you wind!"

Another gust hit me and I sneezed again, "Apparently it doesn't like you either," Gary teased.

I stuck my tongue out as I pulled my sweatshirt closer and pulled up the hood so I could try to conserve body heat. I then felt Gary drape his arm across my shoulders and pull me into him.

"Well get back soon Leafy, then you can warm yourself up to your heart's content," he promised.

I nodded before covering my nose and sneezed again, "Has anyone told you that you have the cutest sneeze?" Gary teased.

I blushed slightly, "Not really," I murmured.

"Well, now you've been told," he teased as he kissed my hoodie where my temple was.

We then saw that Misty and Ash stopped in front of us at the waves, "We hitting water again?" I asked.

Misty nodded with a grin and called out her Gyarados, "Great," I muttered in a whine as I sneezed yet again. "This sneezing is really becoming annoying."

I heard Gary chuckle as he hugged me before helping me onto Gyarados. He then sat beside me and pulled me close again, "Why don't you try sleeping, it'll help pass the time," he suggested.

I shook my head, "I'm hesitant to because I'll fall off," I murmured as I looked at my lap.

I felt Gary's arm move from around my shoulders to wrapping around my waist, "There, now you can't fall off," he said as he pulled me up against him.

I softly smiled and leaned back against him, "Thanks Gare-bear," I murmured as I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

I looked behind to see that Leaf was sleeping with Gary keeping an arm wrapped around her protectively as he watched the ocean in front of him.

"Whatcha thinkin' Mist?" Ash asked.

I smiled lightly, "It's interesting to see how Gary can go from being a playboy jerk to being such a nice guy."

Ash smiled and nodded in agreement as he took a quick glance at him, "You girls have that effect on us?" he said absentmindedly.

"What?" I asked him.

"You girls have an effect on us that makes us much more protective and caring, you've all literarily turned us all into a bunch of softies," Ash chuckled.

I gave a small smile as I kissed him, "If it makes you feel any better, you guys have an effect on us girls."

"Care to elaborate?" Ash asked curiously.

I looked out at the ocean in front of me, "You have a tendency to make us putty in your hands and yet you have respect for us by making us feel safe, protected, and loved. What more could a girl ask for?" I said contently.

I felt a hand turn my head and lips placed on mine, "I think we both agree that statement goes both ways.

I nodded and sighed with a smile. Three hours later, we made it to the shore near where the house was. Gary gently shook Leaf awake and helped her down as Ash and I climbed off.

"Thanks a lot Gyarados," I said gratefully as I returned him.

"We better head to the school to check back in," Leaf said with a yawn.

I nodded in agreement, "Have a nice nap?" I asked.

She nodded, "It was great though I feel a lot sleepier now," she said as she yawned again while pulling her hood down.

Gary then whispered something in her ear making her blush slightly, "You just like to say everything I do is cute, don't you?" she accused slightly flustered.

"It's the truth though," he retorted with a smirk.

Leaf muttered something as she tried to put her hood back up though Gary prevented her from doing so.

Ash and I rolled our eyes at their actions and started making our way to campus. Gary and Leaf soon caught up to us as we reached the arena where Steven was waiting.

"You guys made it back in good time," he said with approval as he wrote something on his clipboard.

"Have May, Drew, Paul, and Dawn made it back yet?" I asked.

He shook his head, "It's still early so why don't you go back to your dorm and wait up for them there," he suggested.

I was surprised but looked at the wall clock to see that it was in the late afternoon proving that we did come back here early.

"Alright, see you later Steven," we called as we walked back to the house.

"Finally, a nice, warm shower," Leaf said dramatically before sneezing.

"And then a nice warm bed, you're grounded missy," I said sternly.

"Yes mom," Leaf said sarcastically as she climbed upstairs.

Ash and Gary gave me an 'are-you-serious' look, I rolled my eyes, "Whenever we order each other around like that, we always call the person mom. The majority of the time it's me," I explained.

"Weird, you don't seem like the motherly type Red," Gary teased.

"Can it hedgehog," I snapped with a glare.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

We were currently walking fast through the forest in hopes of getting Dawn to a hospital. We left earlier than planned this morning because the pain Dawn was feeling was becoming unbearable. May had to force her unconscious so that she didn't have to be awake while in pain. Paul was carrying her while May carried Piplup as he refused to go back into his pokeball.

We were about an hour away from Lilycove when I turned around to see that May had stopped walking, "May, what's going on?" I asked.

"I hear someone," she said concerned as she kept looking to the left.

"May, we need to go," I said hurriedly.

"It sounds like someone's in trouble," she said determined while setting Piplup on the ground. "I'm gonna go investigate."

"May, you're hearing things, we have to get Dawn to the hospital," I argued.

Suddenly I heard a faint cry, "Fine, then I'm coming with you," I said determined.

May looked at me and frowned, "No, you need to go with Dawn and Paul. Paul has to take Dawn to the ER so he can't tell the school that you made it back," she argued.

"May, you aren't going alone," I argued again.

"I'm sorry Drew, but it's not your choice," she said snapped while taking her pokeball and tossing it to me before giving a small smile. "I'll be back, I promise."


	11. Waiting, Recovery, and Hurt

**_September 28th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

(Drew's POV)

She then raced off leaving me angry, annoyed, and slightly hurt, "Drew, we need to go!" Paul shouted.

"Right," I nodded as I placed May's pokeball in my pocket before picking Piplup up and we ran back to Lilycove.

After an hour, we finally made it to the edge of the city, "Take Dawn to the ER, I'll report in with Steven and explain the situation to everyone else," I said quickly while placing Piplup on his shoulder.

He nodded and ran for the hospital while I ran to school. I went to the arena to find Steven talking with a group of returning students.

"Glad to see you made it back Drew," Steven said while writing something on his clipboard before looking concerned. "Where's the rest of your group?"

"Paul's taken Dawn to the ER, May thinks that Dawn has Appendicitis," I explained.

Steven looked stunned as Solidad came over, "What's going on?"

"May thinks Dawn has Appendicitis so Paul took Dawn to the ER," I explained again.

"When did the pains start?" she asked worried.

"About twenty-four hours ago," I said quickly.

"Hopefully she'll make to surgery in time," Steven said concerned. "Then where's May?"

I sighed, "I don't know, we heard a cry in the forest and she felt the need to investigate," I said frustrated.

"Hopefully she'll be back in time," Solidad murmured. "Drew, go tell the rest of your friends, you along with Dawn and Paul are off the hook."

I nodded as I ran to the house, I burst in to find Ash and Misty watching TV, "Drew, glad to see that you made it back, where's everyone else?" Ash asked.

"I don't know where May is and Dawn and Paul are at the hospital, "I explained.

"What?!" Misty asked in shock as both she and Ash stood up.

"May thinks Dawn has Appendicitis so we made it back here as fast as we could, but before we reached the city, we heard a faint cry and May sprinted off to investigate," I further explained.

"Mew," Misty muttered before looking at me while Ash turned off the TV. "Here's the plan, you're taking a shower and resting since you've basically ran for the past day and you look half dead. Ash and I will explain what's going on to Gary and Leaf before we go to the hospital. We'll also call Dawn's mom once we get there," she planned.

"But….," I argued.

"No buts Drew, do as Misty said. We'll mass text everyone what's going on," Ash said sternly.

Both of them ran upstairs while I made my way to the bathroom deeply worried since we had no clue as to what was going on.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

Ash and I quickly ran to Leaf's room and walked in to find Leaf in bed while watching TV with Gary.

"What's going on? You both look upset?" Leaf said concerned.

"With every right, Paul's taken Dawn to the hospital," I said quickly.

Gary and Leaf looked shocked and worried, "What? Why?" Leaf asked worried.

"May thinks that Dawn has Appendicitis," Ash explained.

"Where are May and Drew?" Gary asked.

"Drew's here and supposed to be taking a shower and no one knows where May is," I said slightly annoyed.

"What do you mean no one knows where she is?" Leaf asked.

"Drew said she ran off to investigate a cry, otherwise, I have no clue what's going on with her," I explained. "Leaf, you're to stay here since you're sick. Gary keep an eye on Leaf and Drew to make sure both stay here and rest. Ash and I will go to the hospital to figure out Dawn's condition while contacting Johanna and trying to send Paul back here to rest as well. We'll mass text everyone if we learn anything."

"Who made you in charge?" Leaf asked annoyed.

"Since I'm the only one who's here and not ill," I said tiredly. "Let's go Ash."

He nodded and followed me outside where he called out Charizard and we flew to the ER. Ash then recalled Charizard as we walked in and saw Paul sitting in one of the chairs with Piplup sitting next to him.

"Paul," I called getting his attention.

He raised his head looking passive, but his eyes showed fear, "Did Dawn get admitted right away?" I asked as we stood in front of him.

He nodded and I sighed in relief, "Thank Mew," I praised.

"They're doing testing right now to make sure that it is Appendicitis," he said while lowering his head. "She woke up by the time we got here and she was crying in pain."

I saw that Paul was shaking slightly and my heart went out to him. I placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to flinch, but I kept it there.

Suddenly a doctor came out and looked around the room before looking at Paul and made his way over, "Excuse me, are you the young man that brought in the blue haired girl?" he asked.

Paul looked up and nodded, "The tests came back positive for showing signs that she does have Appendicitis. We are prepping her for surgery, but as to how long it will take will vary as to what I find when I begin. Does she have any family?" he asked.

"She has her mom in Sinnoh, but she hasn't been contacted yet, I'll call her in a few minutes," I explained.

He nodded, "A nurse will provide you with the details as to what will happen so ask her any questions," he said as a nurse walked up with a clipboard and he left behind the double doors.

The nurse gave a small smile, "I'll make this quick since I'm sure you don't want a long lecture," she assured as she handed me a small ticket. "This has your friend's surgery number. When I take you back to the waiting room, there will be a board with a list of surgery numbers and the status as to where in the surgery they are."

I looked at the number and we nodded in understanding, "As the doctor explained, it's hard to tell as to how long she will be in surgery for a few of reasons. One is that there is some prep work that happens before surgery. Second is that it depends on the surgeon. Dr. Roper, the doctor who just spoke with you, will be doing the surgery. Don't worry, he is a very good surgeon, one of the best in the world. Lastly, once he makes the cut, they need to check the condition of the appendix as to whether it looks normal or if they need to do more work to get the poison out of her system," she explained.

"Is there a video phone in the waiting room?" I asked.

She nodded, "I'll take you back now."

"Can you give us a second?" I asked.

She nodded and walked to the double doors to wait, "Paul, you go back to the house and get some rest," I said gently.

He looked at me with a glare, but it didn't faze me, "You need sleep, you've been running carrying Dawn all day," I pointed out. "I'll stay here and keep everyone posted. Once it says she's in recovery, you'll be the first to know along with Johanna, I promise."

He nodded giving in, I gave him a slight hug before looking at Ash, "You go to and keep an eye on him and Drew, Gary can't keep an eye on all three of them."

Ash nodded, "Also, can you have Gardevoir teleport me my laptop when you send her here?" I asked.

"Sure thing Mist," he promised as he kissed me before both guys left.

I then looked at Piplup, "You want to come with me?" I asked.

He nodded and I picked him up to hold, we then followed the nurse through the hospital to the waiting room and she showed me how to pick out Dawn's name on the board. After also showing me where the restrooms were along with where to get food, she brought me back to the waiting area so I could call Dawn's mom.

She answered with a smile, "_Hi Misty dear, how are you_?"

I gave a small smile, "I'm doing alright, how are you?"

"_I'm doing well, not much has happened around here these past few days_," she said still smiling. "_So what can I do for you_?"

I sighed as Piplup joined the screen, "Dawn's been brought to the ER and she's going into surgery," I explained.

Johanna smile disappeared and she looked really worried, "_What happened_?"

"We were coming back from our camping challenge and Paul brought Dawn to the ER because May believed that she has Appendicitis. The test results came back positive for the signs of that so they are prepping her for surgery," I further explained.

"_Goodness, I should look into a flight in getting out there right now_," she said worriedly as Gardevoir appeared next to me off screen with her pokeball and my laptop bag.

"_No need to, I have May's Gardevoir with me and she's willing to teleport you here_," I said with a small smile as she came on screen.

"_Thank you dear_," Johanna said with a small smile.

"In the meantime, just stay home and rest, you along with Paul will be the first people to know what's going on and you two can switch places with me when Dawn gets into recovery," I promised.

"_Paul's not there_?" Johanna asked surprised.

"He would be if he could, but he carried Dawn back here all day for the most part and looked half dead. So I sent him back to the house to shower and rest," I explained.

Johanna gave a small smile and nodded, "_Of course, he should get some rest since there isn't much he can do since Dawn will be in surgery for a little while_."

I nodded, "So I'm be here giving a mass update to everyone as to Dawn's progress in surgery," I said as I looked at Dawn's number to see that she went from being prepped to actually surgery. "Actually, she's now been placed into surgery."

"_Thanks for the update dear. While you're there, you and Piplup get some rest_," she said firmly.

I nodded, "Will do Johanna," I said before ending the call.

I sighed and then face Gardevoir, "Thanks for helping," I said gratefully as I took my bag and her pokeball.

"Where's May, is she back yet?" she asked worried.

I shook my head, "I have no idea, about an hour before reaching here, she heard a faint cry and ran off to investigate. Otherwise no one's heard a thing." I explained before looking at her with concern. "Have you felt anything?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. Sometimes I can sense an emotion if it's incredible strong. A little while ago, I felt a huge burst of anxiety and worry along with somewhere sense of feeling, I think you humans call it déjà vu. The feelings then disappeared with slight calm, but otherwise I haven't felt anything big," she said concerned.

I frowned, "I don't know what to tell you, but right now, May can handle herself just fine. I'm more concerned with Dawn more than anything right now."

Gardevoir frowned slightly, "You're annoyed aren't you?"

"I think all of us are a little annoyed with May's actions especially since Dawn's in surgery," I said tiredly.

Gardevoir nodded in understanding as I returned her and I saw that Piplup had the hardest time staying awake. My heart went out to the little penguin at his appearance.

I took off my hoodie and made a little bed with it on the couch in front of me, "Sleep on this Piplup, you'll feel better once you're rested."

He shook his head as his eyes continued to droop, I picked him up and gave him a small hug, "Dawn would want you to get some sleep. Besides, it will be a little while at least before she's out of surgery."

He put his head down in giving in and I placed him on my hoodie before taking a seat next to him on the couch. I then pulled out my laptop and noticed that that adapter and my headphones were in there causing me to smile at Ash's packing them.

I then facepalmed at my stupidity for forgetting to text everyone that Dawn went into surgery. So much as for keeping everyone updated. I looked at my poketch to see that it was 9:00 PM. To play it safe, I texted Ash and Gary to spread the word to those who were only awake and that if the others were sleeping to let them sleep.

A minute later, Ash texted me back saying that Drew and Paul were sleeping and that he would tell them everything when they woke up. Gary then texted back calling me Red while saying he told Leaf who was still awake.

I felt a vein throb at the nickname, I hated when he called me that. I took a deep breath and started to mess around with my laptop. After a while as I watching random Poketube videos, the nurse from before walked up to me.

"I just got word from a tech in your friend's surgery, her appendix was found to have burst meaning that the poison has leaked into her body," she reported sadly.

I froze, "Will she be alright?" I asked worried.

The nurse sighed, "It depends, they have to make sure that they get rid of all traces of the poison. I wish I could tell you more, but all I know is that your friend's surgery will last longer now."

She then walked away leaving me stunned, I sighed as I texted the update to Ash, Gary, and Johanna. I heard nothing back meaning that they were asleep or they didn't know what to text back. I yawned as I saw that the time was 10:00 PM. I closed my eyes and decided to sleep for a little bit to help pass the time.

* * *

**_September 29th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

I was resting when I felt myself being nudged before a light Bubble Beam hit my face waking me up. I opened my eyes to see Piplup in my face.

"Piplup?" I asked sleepily as I looked at my poketch to see that it was 5:30 AM.

I quickly sat up and looked at the board for Dawn's number, after finding it, it said that she was still in surgery.

"She's still in surgery," I reported to Piplup as I stood up and stretched.

I packed up my laptop, put on my hoodie, and picked up Piplup, "Let's see if they have any food out yet."

"Piplup," he chirped as we walked to the hospital cafeteria.

We walked in to see that they were just starting to set out food. I grabbed some pancakes, sausage, berries, and milk before grabbing some pokemon food made specifically for water types for Piplup.

As we were eating, I felt my poketch buzz with a text from Johanna asking as to what Dawn's status was. I texted her back saying that she was still in surgery. After eating, I looked at the board again to see that Dawn's number said transitioning to recovery.

"She's out of surgery Piplup," I said quickly causing him to show worry.

I quickly texted Johanna that Dawn was heading to recovery and that I would be sending Gardevoir to her. I walked back to the waiting room with Piplup after sending Gardevoir where I texted Paul that Dawn was being placed in recovery while texting Ash the same thing along with alerting him that Paul would be coming to take my place.

A few minutes later, Johanna appeared along with Gardevoir, "Thanks Gardevoir," I said gratefully. "Can you go back to the house? Paul should be up and ready soon. If not, gently wake him up and tell him that Dawn is being placed in recovery."

She nodded and teleported out, "Has anyone said anything about Dawn's condition?" Johanna asked worried.

I shook my head, "I just got back from eating, but let's ask the nurse on duty."

We walked up to the desk and I saw the nurse from before, "Excuse me," I said getting her attention.

She looked up and smiled, "Can I help you?"

"Yea, my friend's number says that she's being placed in recovery, could you show us where her room is?" I asked.

She nodded before looking at Johanna, "Are you Dawn's mother?" she asked.

Johanna nodded, "I'm sure that you have a lot of paperwork to give me," Johanna said with a sigh and small grin.

The nurse looked sympathetic and handed a clipboard full of papers to Johanna, "Take you time filling it out," she said before looking at her computer and began typing.

While she was doing so, I pointed out to Johanna where the restrooms and the cafeteria were since she would be here for a while. I then looked behind to see that Gardevoir and Paul had appeared.

"You doing okay?" I asked.

He nodded and remained looking passive, but with worried eyes, "Thanks so much Gardevoir, return," I said with thanks as I returned her to her pokeball.

The nurse then came from around the desk, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you where Dawn is recovering," she said with a smile. "Also, Dr. Roper will be able to stay for a few minutes and explain everything to you."

We nodded and followed her down a couple of hallways before stopping at a recovery area with the rolling beds divided with curtains. The nurse pulled back a curtain and showed us in. We walked in to see Dawn lying in bed sleeping hooked up to monitors and an IV. Johanna sat in a chair next to the bed while Paul took the other on the other side of the bed and I stood next to Johanna.

The nurse showed us that the button to contact a nurse if anything happened while we were with Dawn before stepping out to get the doctor.

"Thanks so much for keeping us informed," Johanna said gratefully as I placed Piplup on the bed by her legs.

I smiled, "I'm glad that I was able to and I'm sure that Dawn will be fine, she's a fighter," I said confidently as the nurse brought the doctor.

"Dr. Roper, this is Dawn's mother," I introduced as the nurse left.

The doctor shook Johanna's hand, "Did the surgery go okay?" she asked worried.

Dr. Roper sighed, "The surgery went fine and we did our absolute best to remove all traces of the poison. Normally we should have gotten to her in time where her appendix shouldn't have burst, but something must have happened for the appendix to have burst."

"When we were in the woods, Piplup got forced back from an impact of pokemon attacks and he smacked into Dawn's stomach causing both of them to hit a tree," Paul explained bluntly.

The doctor sighed, "That would do it. Anyway, we need to keep her here for a few days to a week in observing to make sure that all the poison has been removed," he explained.

"Thanks Doctor," Johanna said gratefully. "Do you know when Dawn will wake up?"

"The anesthesia should wear off in thirty minutes or so, but she might still sleep for a while before waking up," he explained. "She also will probably complain of pain when she wakes up so alert a nurse to come here and she'll give some pain killers."

Johanna nodded and thanked the doctor again before leaving, "Since Paul's here, I'm gonna go back to the house and report Dawn's condition to everyone and get some more sleep. I'll leave Gardevoir here in case if you need anything," I said to Johanna as I handed her Gardevoir's pokeball before looking at Paul. "If you don't mind, could you please text us when Dawn wakes up. We probably won't come right away because she'll probably fall back asleep, but we'll come when she's awake a little longer."

Paul nodded, "Thanks for staying here," he said while still looking at Dawn.

I gave a small smile and nodded. Johanna then called out Gardevoir and had her teleport me to the house. Once there, I walked around the living room and kitchen to see that no was awake so I lay down on the couch, covered myself with a blanket, and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I was really groggy and felt half asleep as I lay there with my eyes closed. I moved some of my fingers and heard a surprised 'Piplup'. I then heard some warble voices before they started to become clearer. I struggled to open my eyes to see that everything was fuzzy. As I struggled to see better, my stomach felt completely bruised and sore and it hurt to move in the slightest.

"How are you feeling dear?" I heard a familiar voice call out.

I looked at the direction of the voice and saw mom, "Mom, what are you doing here, where am I?" I asked still confused as to what was going on.

"You're in the hospital dear, you got out of surgery an hour ago," mom explained gently as she moved some hair from my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been used as a punching bag," I groaned and flinched as pain erupted from my stomach.

I heard a faint chuckle and looked to see that Paul was smirking slightly at my comment, "I'm going to find a nurse to give you some medicine," mom said as she stood up to find one.

"Did we get credit for the challenge when we came back?" I asked.

Paul frowned slightly, "May's the only one who hasn't. She ran off when we were close to coming back saying she heard a cry and ran off to investigate. She hasn't come back yet."

I frowned, "She hasn't come back, has anybody asked Max?" I said getting anxious.

"Dawn calm down," Paul said as he placed a hand on my shoulder and kissed my forehead. "May can take care of herself."

I was still worried, but I felt myself getting sleepy, "Go to sleep," Paul murmured as he took my hand and held it.

I closed my eyes and let his voice lull me to sleep.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

I woke up the next morning feeling well rested despite me being really worried. I looked at my bedside clock to see that it was 10:00 AM. Then I looked at my poketch to see a mass text from Paul from three hours ago saying that Dawn had woken up, but fell back asleep. I got up and changed before going downstairs to see Ash gently shake Misty awake who was sleeping on the couch.

"Hey Mist, wake up," Ash said gently as Pika stood in front of her face and licked her cheek.

She opened her eyes sleepily, "Morning," she mumbled sleepily as she sat up and looked at her poketch to see Paul's message. "Glad to hear she finally woke up."

"What did the doctor say?" I asked.

"He said that her appendix burst and got rid of all traces of poison possible, but Dawn will have to stay in the hospital for a couple days to a week for observation," Misty reported. "Does anyone know if May has come back?"

I closed my eyes and focused on the area around here to see if her aura would pop up, it didn't. I then expanded it to the school and felt her nearby.

"May's at the school," I said quickly.

Ash and Misty looked at each other worried and we ran for campus. I followed May's aura to Steven's office and we stood outside his door to listen in.

"According to the rules May, you had to be back yesterday in order to remain here at school. Now I will let you stay here if you explain as to why you ran off from your group," Steven proposed.

"I have nothing to say," May stated.

"May, I suggest you take this chance to explain yourself," Solidad urged.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you where I went or what happened," she said again getting slightly annoyed.

I then heard someone stand up, "We're done here," May said curtly. "My things will be gone before the end of the day. If you don't mind, I would like the key for the power inhabilitator."

I then walked in and took the key from Steven, "Sorry May, but you're not getting it til you explain yourself," I frowned.

May glared at me but said nothing as she stormed past Misty and Ash. Steven sighed, "Since she won't explain herself, I'm afraid she is expelled from the school," he said tiredly.

"Can't you let it slide?" Misty asked.

"I'm sorry Misty, but it's the school's policy," Solidad said tiredly. "What I don't understand is why May won't explain what happened?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell finding out," I said angrily as I stormed out with Misty and Ash following me.

"What is with May? First she separates from you guys when Dawn needed to get to a hospital and now she won't tell anyone anything," Misty said frustrated. "She's getting a thrashing if she thinks she can leave without an explanation, especially since Dawn's in the hospital."

I nodded in agreement as we got back to the house to find Gary and Leaf standing outside May's door, "We heard the door slam and saw May storm up to her room, but she's won't let us in or tell us what's going on," Leaf said frustrated before sneezing.

"May got back late and she won't explain where she went meaning she's expelled from school," I said frustrated as I tried to open the door.

"But why won't she explain, it doesn't make sense," Gary said tiredly.

"I don't know, but we'll make her talk," Misty said frustrated as she plucked a bobby-pin from Leaf and picked at the door.

We walked into to find everything gone, "What the hell? Where did she go?" Misty demanded.

I walked to her bed to find her poketch and compowder along with a note saying 'I can't explain what's going on. Don't look for me'.

"What the hell!" I said frustrated as I crumpled the note and threw at the bed. "If she thinks she can just leave without explaining, she has another thing coming."

I pulled the key out of my pocket and clenched, "We'll ambush her here when she comes back tonight," I said determined.

"What do you mean when she returns tonight?" Leaf asked.

I smirked as showed her the key, "If she wants her powers back, she'll have to come to us first."

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I woke up later to find that mom, Paul, and Piplup were still here, but that I had been moved to a private room instead of the common recovery area.

"How is everyone else doing?" I asked Paul as I pet Piplup on the head with my free hand.

"Drew was tired when we got back so he took a shower and slept like I did after I brought you here. Misty and the others got back early and Leaf got a cold during the challenge," Paul reported.

I gave a small smile and chuckled for a second, "Leaf would catch a cold especially if they were placed in a cold area or they traveled on water for a long time."

There was a knock at the door and Drew, Gary, Ash, and Misty came in, "Hey Pinky," Gary teased.

"Hey you guys," I said tiredly. "I'm guessing Leaf stayed at the house."

Misty nodded, "She wanted to come, but I'm sure they don't allow contagious people in here so she sends her love and her get wells."

I nodded and smiled, "Did you guys travel on water a lot for your challenge?" I asked.

Ash, Gary, and Misty nodded, "About two-thirds of each day," Gary said.

"That would explain why she's sick," I concluded knowingly. "Has anyone heard from May?"

The four of them looked at each other while Misty and Drew frowned, "What happened?" I asked bluntly.

"She won't explain where she went meaning she's expelled from school and she is avoiding us. All the stuff in her room is gone," Misty snapped angrily.

A knock was heard at the door and a nurse brought in a really pretty bouquet which mom took, "Hmm…..there's no card," she said as she placed it on the table next to me.

It was really pretty, it had yellow roses, yellow, light pink, and light purple daisies along with striped, light purple carnations, "Whoever put it together did a really nice arrangement," I complimented.

Drew frowned, "It's from May," he said annoyed.

We all stared at him, "What makes you say that?" Misty asked.

"Because the flowers tell it," Ash explained before looking at Drew. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but yellow roses mean friendship and then the striped carnations mean 'sorry that I can't be with you' or I wish I could be with you'."

We stared at him in surprise, "What? My mom owns a flower shop so I know a thing or to," he retorted.

"What about the daisies?" Misty asked.

"It's a common flower for get well bouquets," Ash explained.

"Okay, I just can't picture this, Ashy-boy knowing the meaning of flowers, this is nuts," Gary protested.

Misty then pinched him causing him to yelp, "As Leaf would say 'you're not dreaming' and that's for calling me Red," Misty snapped.

Gary glared at her while I took notice of the bouquet, "You said she refused to explain anything, right?" I asked to clarify.

"Yea, she also wrote a note that she couldn't and for us to not look for her," Drew said angrily.

"Don't be mad at her," I said tiredly. "You know that she's flighty from having done so many missions and sometimes it means she can't say what's going on."

"Well it can't be that bad," Misty retorted.

"The last incident was," I shot back angrily causing my stomach muscles to contract making me flinch in pain. "Look, we need to trust May on this and in time when she's done with whatever she's doing, she'll explain what happened."

"I don't accept that," Drew said frustrated.

I nodded in understanding, "Drew, anyone can tell that you're worried about her, but you need to trust her."

Drew glared at me, "But even you tailed her when she didn't come to school at first," he shot back.

Paul glared at him, but I placed my hand on his to calm him down, "I did because I knew she needed help, but I gave her her distance and didn't interfere. Remember, the reason she didn't tell us what was going was because she didn't want to involve PHPA. Maybe that has to do with something as to why May won't say anything. Heck, half the stuff she does to save people probably goes against PHPA's protocol," I said exasperated. "Just give her what she needs and she will tell us in time."

Drew sighed and clenched his fists, "You might be able to accept her actions, but I can't. I'm not going to let her slip by without explaining."

He then stormed out and I sighed, "Who can blame him? May does crazy things that are dangerous causing him to worry, but he loves her to death," I murmured.

I groaned, "I feel like a philosophical wiseass, have they been giving me morphine?" I asked.

Everyone stared at me before laughing, "What?" I asked confused.

"You're just being you, the understanding, complaining, fashionista we all know and love," Misty said with a smile.

I nodded before my stomach grumbled, "Can I eat anything, I'm starving to death here," I whined.

Johanna laughed, "I'll see what I can find that you're allowed to eat," she said as she stood up and left.

"Hopefully its ice cream," I said dreamily.

"Cookies n Cream right?" Misty asked with a laugh.

I gave her an 'are-you-serious' look, "It is the flavor of the gods," I emphasized causing amused faces before facing-palming at the book reference I made. "I'm ssooo becoming demented, someone help me."

"Now why would we do that, this is funny to watch," Gary teased.

"Shut up spikey," I moaned as I realized that I would be on pain killers for a while. "Great, I'm going to be a frickin' lunatic for the next two weeks."

I looked at Paul, "If you want to abandon me in this state, I won't mind."

Paul smirked and squeezed my hand gently, "Now why would I do that Troublesome?" he asked.

I gave him a disbelieved look, "Heck, I'd abandon myself if physically possible," I stated. "I'm going to be insane, annoying, and saying stupid things."

"I still won't be abandoning you. Besides, it'll make great blackmail," Paul teased.

I looked straight ahead and glared, "Screw you," I retorted.

Paul just smirked and chuckled.

Mom then came back with a bowl, "Sorry dear, but no Cookies n Cream ice cream, it's too much for you to have just getting out of surgery."

She handed me a bowl of vanilla, "This sight of hideous plainness disgusts me, it needs pizzazz," I complained darkly as I started to eat it.

"Hideous plainness?" Gary asked amused.

"Do not mock my way of speak," I snapped as I jabbed my spoon in his direction.

"Way of speak?" Misty then asked grinning.

"Shut up," I muttered as I continued to eat.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

I'd been in our small headquarters for at least four hours trying to find anything that would show me as to where May went, but I came up with nothing. It didn't help that May didn't take her poketch or her compowder otherwise I could track her through them.

Frustrated, I went upstairs to my room and slammed the door. I fell back on the bed while covering my face frustrated. I sat up and changed into my plaid pants and white undershirt before palming the key in my hand. I then clenched it and went forth in putting my trap together by placing a holographic me with some of my aura in bed like I was sleeping while I got out a charm that I found that would hide my aura.

I then hid in the shadows waiting for May to show up. Around 3:00 AM, she climbed through my window wearing all black and her head mostly covered. She paused to check my aura before she came through. I then grabbed her from behind and pinned her to the floor.

She struggled under me, but I held my grip as I took off her mask of sorts, "You're not leaving here without an explanation," I said with a frown as May glared back.

"I'm not telling you anything," she repeated angrily.

"Can't or won't?" I shot back.

She face contorted in anger, but her eyes showed sadness. She didn't want to hurt me as much as I didn't want to hurt her.

"I'm sorry," she said angrily as tears began to appear and she kissed me hard and angrily.

I then felt my arms go numb as she hit certain spots and did the same with my legs so I couldn't move. She rolled me onto my back and then grabbed the key. She unlocked the bracelet and took off the power inhabilitator causing a huge change of energy in the room.

She then knelt down and kissed me again for a couple of seconds as I kissed her back in pleading for her not to go.

I felt tears fall down her cheeks onto my face, "I'm sorry."

She then teleported out and I was left alone feeling broken with nothing but a red rose in my hand.


	12. Dawn vs Subzero

**_October 5th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Misty's POV)

"Staryu, use Swift!" I shouted.

It quickly used Swift hitting Sceptile and caused it to faint.

"Sceptile is no longer able to battle, Staryu wins," a judge announced.

"That was a great battle Misty and Tony, both of your strategies were excellent," Steven complimented with a nod.

I nodded and thanked Staryu as I returned it. I then walked back to my seat on the bleachers and sat in between Ash and Leaf.

"Great job," Ash whispered as he pecked my cheek and squeezed my hand.

I gave a small smile, but said nothing as Steven began to continue his lecture and my mind turned to May. It had been almost a week since she had mysterious left us and it left us greatly upset, especially Drew. He didn't come out of his room the rest of the weekend causing Roserade to be greatly distressed by May leaving and Drew's silence. He only said that May showed up, but never told us what happened. All he would do was look at the rose that would sit in his pocket and twist his ring.

We asked Gardevoir if she felt anything and all she told was that she felt heartbreak before she felt the connection sever. Lucario also said that he couldn't feel a connection with May's aura causing him great worry and he tried to meditate for hours in trying to find it. This whole thing was a huge mess and I was furious at May for the pain she was causing us.

I frowned, if she ever shows up again, she is going to get the beating of her life. She better be happy with the choice that she made.

"Misty? You there?" Leaf asked me snapping me out of my thoughts.

I sighed, "Not really," I said tiredly.

Leaf nodded and gave a small smile in understanding, "May, right?"

My eyebrows furrowed and I frowned, "I just can't accept what she did to us especially Drew and her pokemon. Who is she to cause this much pain when she rants endlessly of how she tries to make sure that no one is hurt," I said with a slight snap.

Leaf sighed, "I know, I'm miffed as well, but remember, Gardevoir said that she felt heartbreak before not feeling anything," Leaf pointed out. "So whatever choice that May made, she's suffering as well."

I nodded as the bell rang ending the day. May, despite the choice you made, you better come back.

"Mist?" Ash asked concerned causing me to look at him and see concern.

I gave a small smile as I stood and grabbed my backpack, "I'll be alright Ash," I said gently as I kissed his cheek.

He gave a small grin back as we held hands to walk back to the house. Once there, we dropped off our stuff and met up in the living room, "Gardevoir, let's go," I shouted as I tossed her pokeball.

"Gardevoir," she said elegantly.

"Do you mind teleporting us to Dawn's house?" I asked.

She nodded and a few seconds later, we were outside Dawn's house in Twinleaf Town. I then looked at the front door, it was swinging slightly off the hinges.

"Something's not right," I said concerned and pointed the door out.

We then ran up and cautiously went inside to hear thumping on a nearby door and ran to it. Leaf opened it up to reveal Glameow.

"Glameow," I said surprised as it looked around in a frenzy before bursting off to the kitchen.

We followed it to find Johanna passed out on the floor, "Dawn," Paul said quickly and raced for upstairs while Leaf and I inspected Johanna.

Leaf sniffed the air and frowned, "Chloroform," she reported with disgust.

I then looked for a heartbeat and felt a faint one causing me to sigh in relief, "She's fine, just unconscious," I reported.

Paul then came back frowning, "Dawn's not here," he said causing us to frown in worry.

"Glameow, can you tell us what happened?" Leaf asked.

He nodded and explained that someone knocked on the backdoor in the kitchen. Johanna answered it only for a rag to be shoved in her face. She then fell over and Glameow tried to attack, but got knocked unconscious by a Mightyena. Next thing he knew, he woke up in the small closet.

"By why would anyone kidnap Dawn?" Gary asked in thought.

We then heard a moan and looked to see Johanna starting to wake up, "Johanna, are you alright?" I asked.

She groaned as she sat up and held her head, "I've got a major headache," she complained before looking around at us. "When did you all get here?"

"We got here a minute ago to see Dawn, but we found your door open along with you unconscious and Dawn gone," Leaf explained.

Johanna looked worried, "What, Dawn's gone?!"

All of suddenly we heard heavy panting and turned to see Piplup running into the house looking winded and he started to pull on Paul's pantleg with his flippers.

"Piplup, calm down. What's wrong?" Paul asked.

He then chirped in between breathes that Dawn was tied up nearby, "Take us to her," Paul ordered.

Piplup nodded and ran out with us following while Leaf and Gary stayed behind to watch over Johanna.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

"As I've told you morons a thousand times, I don't have what you're looking for," I shouted in annoyance.

"Yeah, right. This past spring, we saw you throwing ice type attacks and throwing knives while wearing a snowflake pendant. And now in the past few months, you still throw knives concluding you have the pendant. Now where is it?" my kidnapper demanded as he punched me in the face causing me to cry in pain.

I sighed in frustration as I tried to hold back tears. The way I was tied up was hurting my sore stomach and any movement caused more pain along with all these punches.

"I throw knives that are knives, ice has nothing to do with it and I don't have the pendant, it's with Arceus!" I shouted.

I was then punched again in the gut causing me to cry loudly in agony.

"Shut up brat," the guy said angrily as he punched me again in the face.

"Electivire, use Thunder Punch!" I heard a familiar angry voice shout.

I silently sobbed in relief as the man was punched back. I then felt myself losing conscious as Paul came to my side to untie me from the tree.

"Dawn, hang on," he said quickly though his voice was incredibly faint before I blacked out.

* * *

**_October 6th (Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh)_**

I struggled to open my eyes and looked around to see that I was in a hospital room. I looked to the left and saw Paul with his head resting on his arms on my bed. I gave a small smile as I ran my fingers through his hair gently causing him to shift slightly. I looked at a nearby wall clock and saw that it was 6:00 AM.

I tried to breathe in deeply, but pain shot through me and I bit my tongue from crying out. I then did a check on my body to figure where else I was in pain. In the end, I concluded that my gut, chest, face, and head were the spots that I was in pain thanks to that guy's punches. I still can't believe that the pendant was the reason that I was kidnapped. I didn't think I would ever be kidnapped for that reason.

As I continued to run my fingers through Paul's hair, I just lay in the darkly lit room taking comfort that Paul was nearby as I replayed what happened in my mind. I was just stunned as to what happened. Normally I wouldn't be spooked from being kidnapped this badly, but since I was still recovering from the removal of my appendix, I was completely useless and couldn't defend myself.

Sometime later while still in my thoughts, I heard Paul groan and sit up causing me to remove my hand. He then looked at me in concern, "How do you feel?"

I sighed, "I've been better," I admitted.

"What did they want with you?" he asked.

"They wanted the pendant of Arceus' ice plate that I had when we helped May last spring," I said while frowning before glaring at my lap in disgust. "And the moron would not listen that I didn't have it."

I was then attacked in a gentle hug causing me to be surprised, but I gladly welcomed it, "You had me worried," he muttered.

I closed my eyes as I tightened the hug the little that I could that didn't cause any pain. I heard the door then open and I let go of Paul so he could sit in his seat.

"Ah, glad to see you awake," the doctor said pleasantly as she started to check my vital signs.

"Do I have to stay in here long?" I asked.

The doctor shook her head, "You can be released in a couple of hours," she said with a grin before making a few notes and left.

I sighed, at least I wouldn't be stuck in here long, "Is my mom okay?" I asked Paul feeling terrible for forgetting her.

Paul nodded, "She had a major headache when we found her, but she's doing fine now."

I nodded as I knock was heard and mom stepped in along with Reggie and Maylene, "How are you doing dear?" Mom asked as she gave me a light hug.

"I've been better," I said as I greeted Reggie and Maylene. "How are you?"

"We've been good," Maylene said with a smile.

I then turned back to face mom, "Are you doing okay?" I asked concerned.

Mom smiled, "I'm fine dear. I woke up with a nasty headache, but it's been cleared up."

I nodded and relaxed slightly before looking at Paul, "Did you find the guy who kidnapped me?" I asked worried.

Paul frowned and looked away, "Paul?" I asked.

He sighed, "He escaped when our backs were turned. We notified Clair and she's sent agents to search all over but we haven't found him yet."

I sighed in concern as a beep was heard and Paul pulled out his wallet causing him to sigh in frustration, "Lance?" I guessed.

He nodded, "He wants me and everyone else to do security for an event in an hour," he said annoyed.

I could tell he didn't want to go anywhere because he was worried about my kidnapper still being on the loose.

"You better get going, you know how much patience Lance has," I said knowingly.

Paul sighed still frowning as he got up and gently squeezed my hand before leaving, "Did the doctor tell you when you would be released?" Reggie asked.

"She said I could leave in a few hours," I said as a beeping ringtone started to play and mom went outside to answer it.

"You just seem to be having a terrible week," Maylene said with a small grin looking sympathetic.

I sighed and nodded, "You have _no _idea," I muttered. "I feel like I've been a human punching bag all week."

Maylene nodded sympathetically as mom came back in looking concerned, "What's wrong mom?" I asked.

"Mr. Contesta called asking me to be a judge in place of Mr. Sukizo for the next few contests since he's ill, but it means that I can't watch over you as you rest up," she said frowning.

"She can stay with us," Reggie said as Maylene nodded in agreement.

Mom and I looked uncertain, "I wouldn't want to impose," I protested.

"Dawn, it's fine. And I'm sure Paul would agree," Maylene added. "Plus, it'll be a more secure setting if you stay with us."

Mom nodded in agreement, "If it's no trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," Maylene said with grin.

Mom smiled, "Thank you both," she said gratefully before turning to me. "I hate to up and run, but Mr. Contesta wants me in Snowpoint City as soon as possible."

I smiled, "It's fine mom, I understand."

She gave a gentle hug and kissed my forehead before saying goodbye to Maylene and Reggie and left the room. A couple of hours later, I was released from the hospital and Maylene and Reggie escorted me to their house. When I got there, mom had sent a suitcase filled with some clothes along with my pokemon.

I sat on a chair on the porch before I called out Piplup, he chirped and jumped on my lap and gently hugged me while crying.

I hugged him back and pet his head, "I'm alright Piplup, no need to worry."

As I continued to reassure Piplup that I was alright, my mind wandered in thought as to how everyone else was doing at the event.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

This is the most annoying party…._ever_. For three hours now, this one perverted jerk would not leave me alone and my feet are killing me from standing in these four inch heels.

"Hey beautiful, I will do whatever it takes to please you," he said with a grin.

I mentally groaned, I've been battling these stupid pickup lines for two hours and I was ready to give this guy the boot, "Ok, please me by getting out of my sight," I said sweetly.

The guy, Mark, chuckled, "You're one tough girl to talk to," he said as I felt him eye me.

I mentally shivered, this guy is a creep.

I gave another fake smile, "Actually, could you get me some punch?" I asked.

"Sure thing babe," he said with a wink as he stood up and left.

As soon as his back was turned, my smile disappeared and I pressed the communicator hidden near my ear, "Misty, do you have trash follow you around?" I asked while quickly leaving for another room.

"_Unfortunately_," she muttered. "_You having the same_ _problem_."

I growled slightly, "You have _no_ idea," I muttered. "This one jerk has been following me around for the past three hours and using pickup lines for the past two. Not to mention the gross factor that he keeps eyeballing me in a manner of 'I want you in my bed'."

"_Want me to smash his brains in_?" she asked eagerly.

I smiled a little, "As much as I would love you to do that, I don't need you in prison for murder. We're the only girls left of our posse and I don't need to be the last one."

"There you are," I heard Mark say from behind.

"Crap," I muttered.

I heard a sigh, "_I'll send help_."

"You're a sly one," Mark said with a smirk as he gave me a cup of punch.

I smiled and took it. I took a tiny sip and could tell that it tasted funny, no doubt this guy added something to it.

"Hey, do you want to come back to my place?" Mark asked.

I then felt an arm snake around my waist, "Sorry I'm late babe, I had the hardest time getting here," a familiar voice said as they kissed my cheek.

I silently sighed in relief at Gary showing up while Mark frowned, "Anything wrong?" I asked innocently to Mark.

"It's nothing, please excuse me," he said curtly before walking away.

"Thanks for rescuing me," I said before kissing Gary.

"I'm really am sorry for not getting here sooner, but Lance had me posted outside and I couldn't leave til now. Glad I showed up when I did, no one gets to flirt with my Leafy but me," he teased as he kissed me back.

I gave a small giggle as he kissed me again before I broke it off. "Glad to see I was able send in the cavalry," Misty said as she and Ash walked up to us.

"Thanks for that," I said gratefully as I looked at my punch. "I'm not sure how long I would have been able to get away from him."

Everyone frowned, "What makes you say that?" Misty said suspiciously.

"We're about to find out," I said as I walked to a side table and pulled out my compowder.

I then poured some of my drink onto the scanner and my screen reported that there was the date rape drug GHB, "Well, he really wanted me," I said with a shiver as I gave my compowder to Misty.

She read the screen and looked ticked, "I'm gonna bash his head in," she snapped as Ash and Gary looked over and read the screen.

"I get first dibs," Gary said angrily as I took my compowder back from Misty.

"Hey Paul and Drew, do you spot a guy wearing a white dress shirt, single button navy blazer? He's about six feet, has shaggy black hair, and blue eyes," I said as I pressed my earbud communicator.

"_I don't see him_," Drew reported.

"_I see him, he's heading for the front_," Paul said.

"Detain him in the back, we'll be there in a minute," I said as we started walking for the room.

We got to the room just as Drew got there, "What's up?" he asked.

"This guy tried to spike Leaf with GHB," Gary said angrily causing Drew to frown.

I sighed, "At least he left me alone when Gary showed up, but who knows if he'll track down some other poor girl."

"Hey let me go, this is harassment!" Mark shouted as Paul dragged him into the room and threw him into a chair.

He then noticed me and Gary, "I knew you couldn't resist me," he flirted with a smirk.

Gary gripped his fists trying really hard not to punch the guy, "Shut up," Misty snapped as Ash started going through the guys pockets to pull out a bag of pills.

"Wow, you sure like to keep busy," I commented as Misty started to analyze the pills with her compowder.

"It's GHB," Misty reported as she put the pill back in the bag and gave it to Ash to keep safe.

"You can't take that!" Mark argued.

"Sure we can," I retorted as I flipped out my badge. "We're PHPA agents."

He froze with fear causing me to smirk, "Next time, don't try to drug an agent."

"How am I supposed to know who's an agent?" he snapped.

I shrugged, "I don't know, guess that means you just don't drug people," I retorted.

"Hmph and you could've been a good conquest," he muttered.

Before anyone could react, I gave a mean right hook to the guy's face smashing in his nose, "I dare you to try that again," I spat as Mark cried in pain.

"Get him out of here," Misty muttered as Drew called Lance before he and Paul escorted the creep out.

I sighed as I flicked my hand around since the punch caused a little pain, "You alright?" Misty asked.

I sighed, "I just want to get out of this dress into sweatpants and a hoodie, I'm sick of being eyed at," I muttered as I hugged myself.

Misty gave a sympathetic look, "You and me both," she agreed before sighing. "I think it'll be best if we girls stick in pairs for the rest of the event."

I nodded in agreement before she and Ash left to continued making their rounds, "You alright Leafy?" Gary asked concerned as I paced a little.

"I'm not really sure, all I want to do is kick that guy's ass," I muttered.

Gary chuckled as he drew me into a hug, "You and me both babe," he said as he kissed my forehead.

I said nothing as I took comfort from Gary's hug, "We better get back to the party," I said tiredly.

"Or we could just ditch and makeout," Gary suggested with a smirk.

I gave a small smile, "As much as I would love to do that, I don't want to leave Misty here by herself."

"She won't be though, Ash will be hovering by her for the rest of the party and we know he gets super defensive about her and food," Gary argued. "Heck, he'll beat up someone for taking the last cream puff."

I giggled, "I know that, but I don't want to face the wrath of her mallet."

Gary paused in thought for a few seconds before nodding in agreement, "Good point."

I gave a light laugh before kissing him, "I'm full of them."

Gary smirked, "And you say I have an ego," he teased.

I rolled my eyes as I dragged him back to the party.

* * *

**_October 7th (Veilstone City, Sinnoh)_**

(Dawn's POV)

Normally for a mission being two days long, I would say "no need to worry". But this time, I think there is a big need to worry. Paul hasn't come back from his mission. Normally security detail missions don't go over a day unless specified that, which it wasn't. Not only that, Reggie and Maylene haven't come back either after they stepped out to do an errand six hours ago.

"Something's wrong," I muttered as I got out of bed and went downstairs.

I looked around to find the house empty and went outside to find that my pokemon weren't around along with Paul's. Yup, something is definitely wrong.

"Star staraptor?" Reggie's Staraptor asked in concerned. (What are you doing out of bed?)

"No one is back and I don't see my pokemon or Paul's," I said worried.

"Star," he said trying to calm me down. (They are here somewhere.)

"Can you please fly over and look?" I asked.

"Star," he said with a nod before taking off and flying.

As I watched him fly away, I sat on the porch steps and hugged myself gently to try to keep warm. A few minutes past and Staraptor returned shaking his head.

"That's it, something bad happened," I concluded as I stood up determined to do something.

Staraptor then walked up to me and placed a wing on me to stop me and told me to calm down.

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Alright, I'll try to call everyone else first. But if I don't hear anything, I'm going after them."

I then sat back down and began calling numbers. One by one, no one answered. Even Max wasn't picking up, but he left his 'I'm gaming' voicemail meaning he was of no help concluding that I was on my own since Lance and Clair would take me off the rescue. With that thought in mind, what was I going to do? I was still recovering from being beat up limiting my movement by a lot. I also don't have an army or any help. Argh, what I won't give to have my powers back.

"_I may make an exception_," a voice said telepathically.

"Arceus," I murmured in surprise.

"_Granted, there is a price for the small portion that I will give you_," he warned.

I was confused, "_What are you talking about, there was no price when I used it the last time_?"

"_When you helped May last spring, it was about saving the world from destruction. What you are doing is out of personal reasons meaning that there is a price_," he explained sternly.

I sighed, "_What is the price_?" I asked determined to do this.

"_You must be willing to give up something you care about,_" he said.

I was stumped as to what I could give up. I pushed a piece of hair behind my ear and paused mid motion. "_Does sacrificing my hair count_?" I asked.

"_Is it something you care about_?" he asked.

I sighed and held a clump, "_A lot_," I admitted.

"_Then it will be accepted_," he answered.

I sighed as I stood up and went to the kitchen to grab a scissors, "_Alright, what do I need to do_?" I asked as I sat back on the step.

"_Cut your hair and place it in front of you, then call upon me for what you seek_," he said before he left leaving a headache.

I grumbled about the headache before sighing and picked up a clump of hair. This got the attention of all the pokemon around the property.

"Start staraptor?!" Staraptor asked in alarm. (What are you doing?!)

"Something that needs to be done," I said as I shut my eyes and cut the clump so that the remaining hair hit the edge of my chin.

I continued the process until a small pile was in front of me on the ground. I then knelt down and clasped my hands together, "Arceus, I give this up in asking for your power to control the element of ice," I shouted loudly.

"_I accept your request_," Arceus said as the pile of hair suddenly caught fire and burned to ash.

A second later, a pale blue light shone on me and the air got colder. The light then faded and I noticed a snowflake mark on my right hand.

I smirked as I formed a snowflake throwing star in my hand. Then out of instinct, I threw it at a tree. I froze in surprise that the movement didn't cause major pain.

"_Temporary numbing of pain_," Arceus explained gruffly. "_Don't expect any more freebies_."

I smiled in thanks, this temporary numbing would help immensely.

"Meditite?" Maylene's Meditite asked. (What are you going to do?)

I grinned in determination as I created a snowflake above my hand, "We're going to see how much creativity I've got."

* * *

(Paul's POV)

When I woke up, I noticed that I was in a cell with metal bars blocking my way out. I grabbed the bars and looked around to find I was in a colosseum with cells like mine all around containing Reggie, Maylene, Johanna, along with the rest of the gang and our pokemon.

"Paul, you alright?" Reggie shouted from across the way.

"I'm fine," I hollered back. "How did you get here?"

"Rag shoved in my face," he shouted.

"Same here," Johanna said tiredly in annoyance. "Those crooks need a good zap from Glameow."

"Same way for us," Misty hollered.

"Ah, glad to see that our guests are awake," an evil voice said pleased.

"You!" I shouted with a glare recognizing him as Dawn's kidnapper.

"Yes me," he said with a chuckle. "Like your new digs?"

"Not really, it's really drafty and medieval-looking," Ash commented causing us to face palm.

"Ashy-boy, it's a rhetorical question," Gary snapped in annoyance.

"Why did you kidnap us?" Leaf demanded.

The guy then looked up and down at Leaf with a smirk, "Can't say cutie, but I'll say you look…."

Leaf didn't let him finish because she gave him a punch in the face making him step back in shock.

"You bitch," he shouted as he tried to grab her.

"Frigid, cool it," a voice snapped as they entered from one of the many openings.

"Come on bro, I think she broke my nose," Frigid complained nasally.

The new guy just glared causing Frigid to shut up before glaring at Leaf and walked to the other guy.

"Who are you?" Misty demanded.

The new guy smiled, "My name is Subzero, future ruler of what will be the frozen world," he announced.

Great, another crack job, "Let me guess, you're going to freeze the world over with some device," I grunted.

Frigid smirked, "Nope, our way is gonna be much cooler."

"You mean my way," Subzero said with a slight snap. "It's an ingenious plan inspired by your girlfriend actually. A person given icy powers by Arceus, what more could a worshipper of the cold want?

I just glared as he continued, "We would have completed our plan if my brother didn't jump the gun like always," he snapped before calming down. "So we have kidnapped you and will harm you if Dawn refuses to give us her pendant by Arceus. So she will have to give it up in order to save you."

I wanted to go up and punch this guy, no way in hell was this happening, "What makes you think Dawn is coming here, she's bedridden thanks to your jackass brother," I snapped.

Subzero smirked, "Because she's noticed by now that you all aren't back and she cares enough to come here to rescue you."

"She wouldn't do that, she'd call for PHPA," Misty retorted.

Frigid smirked, "You really don't know her well do you. Maybe if we rough you up a bit, she'll come faster."

Suddenly something shiny hit Frigid and left a gash on his cheek, "Ahhh! What the f….!" Frigid roared as he turned around and plucked something from the wall.

"You harm any person in this room, I'll do more than slash your face," a familiar voice called causing my eyes to widen. Why the hell was she here, she shouldn't be.

Subzero smirked, "Ah, so kind of you to join us, would you please come out of the shadows."

"Why should I, I'm quite comfortable here," she retorted.

"Do it or your boyfriend is the first one to get punishment," Frigid snapped.

"Take a chill pill, geez," Dawn muttered as she stepped out of the shadows.

We all gasped at her appearance, her hair was cut short with all tips died light blue along with her outfit being an icy blue strapless cropped top, a cropped, black leather, ¾ quarter length sleeve jacket, silver jean shorts, and icy blue vans. She looked like a badass goddess and I could feel my face heat up slightly from the thought causing me to jerk my head away.

"Dawn, what are you doing here, you're in no condition to be here," Leaf shouted in concern.

Subzero smirked as he pressed a button and a huge amount of henchmen appeared, "Get her."

They rushed forward and grabbed her only for Dawn to be smashed into a bunch of ice chunks causing everyone to step away in shock.

I was stunned, I could have sworn that it was her. If not, what is going on?"

I then heard Dawn laugh, "You actually behind I would just rush in as myself, you really are stupid," Dawn said as she stepped out of one of the open entries.

"Get her," Subzero ordered again.

"Hey jerkface, look up here," Dawn said as another one of her appeared at a different opening.

"Or here," another said.

"Down here," one said.

"Up here, over here, I'm right here stupid," a bunch chimed.

I was getting a headache, there were at least over forty Dawn's, where the hell was the real one?

All the Dawn's laughed, "You think I would burst into here without back up, how stupid do you think I am?" all of them asked simultaneously.

Subzero clenched his fists and looked annoyed, "Get her!" he ordered angrily.

All the Dawns just laughed before throwing snowflake stars. Watching her fight now in the chaos, all of her looked like she was in her element and having the time of her life.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

This has to be one of the best ideas ever, I don't recall ever having this much fun. Despite this being fun, I need to focus. If Frigid had no problem beating me up the first time, he'll want to get me this time.

I continued to fight in sync with my frozen clones trying to blend in as much as I could. I threw frozen knifes pinning thugs to the walls and started to feel my power start to get weaker causing my clones to break apart and disappear and my pain starting to return. I quickly started to run toward the control panel, but I was suddenly punched in the gut hard causing me to lose my breath and get thrown into a wall. All my clones then immediately broke into ice and disappeared as I felt my power fade to almost nothing.

"Shit," I muttered as I tried to stand while clutching my throbbing gut.

"Now that we singled you out," Frigid said with a smirk as he picked up by my head causing pain to explode, but I bit my tongue to prevent any sound from coming out.

Subzero then walked forward to me while clapping his hands slowly as if mocking me, "That was an impressive performance you gave us Miss Berlitz. Clones of yourself made of ice, well done."

I smirked, "A coordinator has to give a good performance," I retorted as I created a knife and threw it at him giving him a gash on the arm.

While Frigid was distracted, I gave him a kick to the crotch and started hobbling my way to the control panel.

I didn't make it far when I felt a big hand grip my head and picked me up before punching my hard in gut sending me into the wall causing me to cry out in pain.

"Dawn!" everyone screamed as I crumpled to the ground as Frigid came up to me and started kicking me in the ribs and stomach til I began to cough up blood.

"Stop it!" Misty and Leaf plead screaming.

At this point, all the pokemon, especially mine, threw one attack after another trying to break free to help me, but they couldn't get out.

"Enough," Subzero ordered his brother while sweeping his arm out to stop him.

Frigid stepped back letting me get on my hands and knees coughing up blood before looking up and scowl at Subzero, "Now that you're in no condition to fight back," he said before he frowned at me. "Where's the pendant? There's no way you could have had your powers if you didn't have it."

I smirked as I tried to grip the wall and stand up, "I guess I'm that special."

Subzero glared as he then punched my gut causing me to hit the wall hard. I then coughed up more blood as well as vomit.

"You look pathetic," Frigid said contently as I couldn't stop silently crying from all the pain I was in.

"We have no use for you, it's obvious that you aren't in possession of the pendant," Subzero said angrily as he turned on the balls of his feet and began to walk away while snapping his fingers to signal his henchmen. "She is of use to us no longer, kill her."

Everyone gasped as I felt my pupils shrink from fear. I was then picked up and thrown into someone who punched me in my side causing to crash into some other thug. I was then tossed around punch after punch until I banged into the bars of Paul's cell and let myself just fall.

"Dawn, you have to get up and get out of here!" I heard Paul shout with a slight pang of fear as I felt him shaking me on the shoulder.

I opened my eyes and panicked, there was no way I could escape from here. _Arceus, please…..help me_.

_"I can help you, but there is a price to be paid_," he warned.

"Dawn," Paul said concerned causing me to look at him to see so much emotion it was scary. Fear, anger, concern, rage, so many emotions were showing up in Paul that any person would think that the world would end.

I gave him a small sad smile before looking at my enemy in front of me and created an ice shield to surround me and Paul with what little power I had left. I then got on my knees to kneel while cringing in pain at the motion before bowing my head having my sacrifice already in mind.

"_In exchange for power, I give you my voice_," I said telepathically as I felt tears fall down my face.

"Dawn, what are you doing!" Misty shouted as only everyone on the upper floors had a slight angle in seeing me.

"_I accept your sacrifice, but do not worry, you will gain your voice in time of a full lunar cycle_," he said as I felt a light shine down on me and a small ball of light came out of my mouth. It then disappeared and the pendant from months ago appeared.

I then placed it around my neck and felt a huge rush of power causing me to smirk. I felt my appearance change as my clothes changed to a knee length, icy blue dress with an asymmetric top and silver arm cuffs. I felt my hair grow long and curly as it styled half up half down. I then dropped the shield and threw a semi-circle wide attack of Ice Shard sending the henchmen back.

I then froze the floor and added skates to the bottom of my feet. I smirked as I started to skate around and threw one attack of ice after another.

"Get 'em Dawn!" Misty and Leaf shouted in encouragement.

I smirked as I continued to fight off everyone before I made it to the control panel and punctured it with a huge icicle causing all the bars to rise up freeing everyone.

"You bitch!" Frigid screamed as he bolted toward me and tried to throw a punch at me.

I smirked and skated to the right with ease and grace as he smacked into the huge icicle before falling on his back.

"Enough!" Subzero shouted as he skated onto the ice causing the henchmen not beaten up, pinned to the wall, or frozen to move away. "I'll finish her myself."

I smirked as I took a battle stance and gestured with my fingers for him to come and get me.

He then raced forward and drew out a crooked dagger and swiped it at me.

I dodged and frowned at his movement, it was obvious that he could skate well. I then skated away before turning to throw a few knives which he deflected with his dagger.

He smirked, "No one knows the cold better than me," he said arrogantly as he tried to swipe me again but I dodged.

I then smirked in a way that said 'try me' causing him to frown before he grinned evilly.

"I might not be able to do much to you, but let's see what I can do on your boyfriend," he threatened as he quickly skated over to him and held the knife up to Paul's neck.

"Give me the pendant and I'll let him live," he threatened.

"Don't do it Troublesome," Paul shouted only for the blade to nick his neck causing me to raise my hand out pleading him to stop.

I then let my head fall dejectedly as I slowly skated over to him, "That's a good girl," Subzero said smugly.

"Troublesome, what are you doing?!" Paul shouted.

"Quiet!" Subzero snapped as the knife cut deeper to create a longer cut.

I gasped, but no sound came out causing everyone to look at me concerned while Subzero grinned, "So you had to trade you voice in order to get it, pity," he mocked.

Paul then jerked causing the knife to cut across his upper torso causing me to scream heart-wrenchingly though no sound appeared. I then skated lightning fast to throw him away from Paul as I stood between him and Paul protectively.

I then screamed again in anger again in silence as I threw one attack after another giving Subzero no chance to counter. I then let Ice Shard fly slashing up Subzero til I used a huge Ice Beam to freeze him in place. I breathed heavily from the huge amount of energy I used before I felt faint and felt myself fall.


	13. Mysterious Recoveries

**_October 7th (Somewhere in Sinnoh)_**

(Misty's POV)

"Dawn!" Paul shouted as he burst forward from adrenaline and caught her as she fell along with her outfit disappearing to what she had on before.

The pendant then disappeared and she looked horrible from the beating she took on a couple minutes before.

We all then gathered around Dawn and Drew checked her aura, "She needs a hospital now," he said sternly before looking at Paul. "So do you."

We then looked at Paul to see that the cut from the knife had caused blood to appear soaking his dress shirt and was dripping onto the floor.

"Gardevoir, teleport us to the place I'm thinking of," I said quickly.

She nodded and we found ourselves in the ER in Veilstone City getting the attention of the person sitting in front.

"I need a gurney," she shouted into an intercom and people ran out with one a few seconds later.

They took Dawn from Paul and told Paul to follow them so he could get patched up. The rest of us took a seat in the waiting room drained and worried.

"This is insane," I murmured sorrowfully into my hands.

Ash then rubbed my back and pulled me into a side hug, "Why is everything happening to Dawn, this is the third time she's been in the hospital within a week," I sighed.

"There's not much we can do about it," Leaf said sadly. "We should have been hunting down the idiot who took Dawn in the first place instead of being placed in that stupid security detail."

"We also should have been on our guard better," Maylene admitted and Lucario nodded in agreement.

I sighed, I was drained physically and emotionally along with the fact that I'm anxious and ready to burst into tears.

"I'm gonna get some air," I said as I stood up and walked out into the night air.

I tried to keep myself steady, but I could feel myself shaking and my eyes gathering tears. Soon tears started to fall and I tried hard to not cry loudly.

"Mist?" I heard Ash ask concerned.

I just covered my mouth and nose with my hand while hugging myself with my other arm and shaking my head.

"Oh Mist," Ash said sadly as he pulled me into a hug and I fell apart.

"It not's fair, why did this have to happen? May leaving, Dawn getting hospitalized, even Leaf was almost drugged," I sobbed. "What did we do to deserve this? Am I next with getting hurt?"

"Mist, stop," Ash said as I continued to ramble.

"It's happening to all of us, what if…..," I muttered.

"Misty, stop it!" Ash shouted as he gripped my upper arms while looking at me.

I shut up, but the tears kept falling. Ash relaxed his grip but still held me, "You are right, it's not fair that everyone is suffering and getting into these situations, but there's not much we can do about it. You have to remember that our kind of work gets us into these situations," he reminded me gently as he began to wipe tears from my eyes. "But we'll make it, just like we've done before. They can knock us down, but we'll never stop getting up and fighting back."

I was stunned at Ash's words, it was a rare occurrence to hear words of wisdom leave his mouth.

Ash gave a small chuckle and a goofy grin as he moved a stray hair to behind my ear, "Don't worry Mist, you'll get through it, we always do."

I just looked at him and felt my eyes start to water again. I then hugged him tight, "Don't you dare ever change Ash Ketchum, don't you dare!" I sobbed into his shoulder.

Ash said nothing as he hugged me back tightly. For the next few moments, we just stood there outside taking comfort in each other, no words needed to be said.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I watched as Misty stood up and walked out with Ash following her out. My heart went out to her because I felt the same way.

I felt a tear slide down, but I quickly wiped it away as Reggie, Maylene, and Lucario went to check on Paul while Drew left for a private spot to give a report to Lance and Johanna left to find some coffee.

"You alright Leafy?" Gary asked as he rubbed my back.

I shook my head, "No," I murmured as I crossed my arms to hug myself. "I can't help but feel all of us are falling apart. May left for whatever reason, Dawn's been beaten up and hospitalized for the second time, and I was almost drugged and raped. Misty's must be close to falling apart as I am because we don't know what to do."

Gary wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into a side hug while kissing my temple, "There's not much you can do Leafy. We just have to do our best at handling what life throws at us, May's a good example of that."

I sighed, "But it's not fair though, there's so much we could have done to prevent Dawn from getting hurt."

"Such as?" Gary asked.

"Well….um…," I said trying hard to give an example.

"It's just that Leafy, there's not much we could have done. We were knocked out and stuck in cells without our pokemon giving us no way to help Dawn," Gary pointed out gently.

I sighed again before looking at him, "Guess you're right," I admitted.

"You know I'm right," Gary teased.

I rolled my eyes and gave a small grin, "You're still the one that has a bigger ego than me."

Gary smirked and kissed me as Misty and Ash came back in, "You alright?" I asked Misty.

She sighed and nodded before giving a small grin, "I will be, but I will be even more when I get out of this dress. I feel like burning it after all the events that happened today and yesterday."

"Ditto, especially since I felt like the guy raped me just by looking at me," I said in disgust while shivering.

Misty nodded in agreement as everyone else came back, "The doctor's keeping Paul overnight for observation," Reggie reported.

"And Dawn will be in surgery for a while," Johanna said worried.

"I wouldn't be surprised. The damage done from getting beaten up along with the amount of power Dawn used tiring her out banged her up badly," I pointed out sadly.

"Clair and Lance are upset with Dawn's actions, but they have Subzero and his gang of thugs in custody along with having agents on guard here," Drew reported.

Misty nodded, "I guess there's not much else we can do so we should get some rest."

She then called out Gardevoir and had her teleport the five of us back to the house, "Thanks Gardevoir, return," Misty called as she held out Gardevoir's pokeball.

We then split our ways and got ready for bed, but despite after everything that happened in the past few days, I was too worried to sleep. After being restless for half an hour, I got up and snuck my way outside for the beach. As I sat down, a breeze caused me to shiver and I cursed my stupidity in not grabbing a hoodie.

Suddenly one appeared in front of me, "Figures you would get cold Leafy," Gary teased.

I stuck out my tongue childishly before putting on his hoodie, "Thanks," I murmured as I hugged my knees.

"So what are you doing out here?" he asked as he took a seat next to me.

I sighed, "I just can't seem to put myself to bed."

Gary smirked, "Figuratively or literally?" he teased.

"Shut up," I moaned with a small grin as I elbowed him. "Both I guess. I know what's bothering me, but I can't seem to shut my mind off to get to sleep."

Gary chuckled as he pulled me to his side and I laid my head on his shoulder, "That always seems to be the case with you. Even when the two of us were in Pallet Town, you would always come outside when you couldn't sleep."

"And you would always help me get to sleep one way or another," I muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Gary chuckled.

I looked up and glared at him, "How about the time you had Daisy's Spinda use Hypnosis on me or the time that you dumped sleep powder on me?"

"You remember that?" Gary said surprised.

"How could I not, I scared Marie half to death when I didn't wake up at home. I also got a kink in my neck," I huffed.

"Well I couldn't carry you back, you were heavy," Gary pointed out.

I yawned, "Sure Gare bear, even so, you were smart enough to at least try and figure out a way to get me home."

"Well since I didn't, at least I slept next to you to make sure nothing happened to you," Gary revealed causing me to lift my head up and look at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" I asked before smirking. "The high and mighty Gary Oak chose to sleep outside in guarding me than sleeping in his bed, I'm shocked."

Gary rolled his eyes, "Knock it off," he said as he shoved me gently.

I smirked, "Alright," I said as I stood up. "See ya."

I then started to walk away, "Oh come on Leafy, I was joking," he complained as he stood up and ran to catch up to me.

I laughed and ran away only to be caught a minute later with Gary hugging my middle and lifting me up, "Gary, put me down," I laughed.

"How do I know you won't run away again?" he asked suspiciously in my ear.

"Because I'm tired now put me down," I whined.

He set me down, but he didn't let go, "Gary, why aren't you letting go?" I scolded lightly.

"Because you said to put you down, not to let you go," he whispered teasingly into my ear.

"Jerk," I said with a light laugh as I let my legs give way so that Gary had to hold me up.

"You are terrible," Gary moaned as we sat down and I rested my back against him.

"I try," I said with a smirk before sighing in content and closed my eyes. "You're comfy."

I felt Gary chuckle as he leaned forward to gently kiss my cheek, "Night Leafy," he murmured as I let myself fall asleep in his embrace.

* * *

**_October 8th (Veilstone City, Sinnoh)_**

(Dawn's POV)

I woke up slowly and looked around to find that no one was around and was shocked to find that I didn't feel agonizing pain. I still felt bruised, but I thought the pain would be worse. I tried to talk, but found that I still didn't have my voice. What the heck happened to me?

The door then opened to reveal a nurse bringing in meds, "How are you feeling?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and made the motion of writing hoping she would get me a notepad and a pencil.

She gave me a strange look, but got me what I wanted. I then wrote and explained how I was feeling. She read it and looked confused and worried.

"I'll be back," she said with a frown causing me to sigh, this is going to be a long day.

The nurse then came back with the doctor from a few days ago, "Hi Dawn, it's nice to see you again," she said with a grin.

I gave a small smile back and nodded, "Nurse Hart says that you only feel slightly bruised. Do you have any pain in your chest, head, legs, or spine?" she asked.

I wrote down that my legs felt weak, but otherwise no causing her to look in thought.

"This doesn't make sense. When you came in, you were coughing up blood and suffered a lot of internal damage, it's impossible to heal this quickly."

I then wrote down asking how Paul was doing. She read my note and smiled, "His surgery went well in stitching up that knife wound. I'm actually on my way to his room to check on him."

I quickly wrote asking if I could come and she nodded with a smile before asking the nurse to get a wheelchair. The nurse returned with the wheelchair and helped me into it before wheeling me behind the doctor.

As we rolled down, I heard chatter from the hospital patients, "I'm tellin' ya, I saw an angel last night. She looked transparent while floating down the hall," an old guy argued.

"Shut up Charles, your mind's playing tricks on you," another patient snapped.

"I'm not hallucinating, in fact, I feel a lot better than I've felt in a long time, don't you?" he snapped.

As we continued down the hall, I heard more whispering of a ghost/angel. I quickly wrote on my notepad asking what everyone was talking about.

When we reached Paul's door, I gave the doctor my notepad and she sighed, "I'm not sure, I didn't see it myself because I wasn't here last night, but all the patients I've seen today have had their health improve slightly as if one did visit."

This caused me to be curious, but I placed it in the back of my mind as we entered Paul's room to find him still sleeping.

"Amazing," the doctor said as she checked him. "His wound is almost if not completely healed."

My eyes widened as I looked to see that the doctor was right, "Well, not much I can do until he wakes up, would you like to stay here?" the doctor asked me.

I nodded as the nurse placed the wheelchair closer to the bed, "If you need anything, just press the red button," the nurse said before she and the doctor left.

I nodded again before looking at Paul's face as he slept. I took one of his hands and squeezed it gently. Memories of what happened yesterday hit me and I shivered as I remembered Subzero cutting Paul. I felt tears appear. It was my fault for not finishing off Subzero fast enough. It's my fault that Paul's lying here and that he has a faint scar. I let go of his hand, crossed my arms on his bed, and silently cried. After a while, I felt a hand stroke my head causing me to sit up and wipe my eyes.

I looked over and saw Paul awake with a tired look in his eye, "Troublesome, shouldn't you be resting?" he said tiredly in concern.

I shrugged my shoulder and wrote on my notepad asking how he felt. He took the notepad looking at me confused.

"I'm fine surprisingly," he finally said. "I'd thought I'd be in more pain than this."

I nodded and wrote the talk of the hospital, "That's a load of crap, there's no such thing," he tiredly argued.

I frowned and shook my head before writing my hypothesis, "You think it's May?" Paul asked to clarify.

I nodded and wrote that she would make anything impossible possible and that her being the so called angel was no exception of the powers she had.

"You do have a point, but we'll never know," he grunted before looking at. "Why can't you talk, did those bastards hurt you?"

I shook my head and frowned, I then wrote that gaining power comes with a price.

Paul just looked at me angry, "Idiot, you traded your voice away so you could get the power you had before. This never would have happened if you just told Lance and Claire instead of trying to rescue us yourself!" he yelled.

I glared and furiously wrote that they would have captured and hurt everyone if I didn't show up and that I wasn't going to let that happen. That what I gave up was little to what I helped saved and apparently I can't do a good job protecting what I care about the most.

I felt myself cry and looked down at my lap, I heard creaking and a hand forced my chin up before I was kissed. After the shock wore off a second later, I relaxed and let my hands run through his hair. I then rested my forehead on his and he took ahold of my hands in his lap. After taking in the silence for a minute, I felt something wet on my hands and noticed that Paul was crying.

I then stood up and hugged him letting his face lay on my chest, nothing needed to be said. I knew that he couldn't take the pain of knowing of all the beatings I've suffered and the times I've been hospitalized. And I knew he could only hold up his strong front for so long before it cracked and everything spilled out.

I then felt myself silently cry for giving him this much pain. After a few minutes, I felt Paul pull back and I let him go. He then looked away and I gave a small smile knowing he was embarrassed by his breakdown. I quickly wrote down that it was okay, everyone can't hold up a brave face forever and that we need to let it out. It doesn't make them less of a person for showing emotion.

Paul then hugged me, "Please promise you'll stop putting yourself in danger," he grunted.

I pulled away a little so that I could kiss him before writing down that I couldn't promise anything because of the fact that I'm troublesome.

I gave him my notepad with a smirk. After he read it, he sighed, "You have no idea," he huffed as he kissed me again.

I suddenly felt my legs ready to collapse of me so I quickly sat down in the wheelchair before I fell. Paul looked at me in concern and I quickly wrote my condition and what the doctor thought I would suffer. Paul read the note and looked at me concerned. I gave a small smile and said nothing as I took his hand and squeezed it assuring him that I was okay.

We then heard a knock on the door and I placed my hand back in my lap. The door opened to reveal the doctor along with Reggie, "Morning you two, how are you feeling?" Reggie asked.

"I'm fine," Paul grunted and I wrote down that I was okay.

Reggie looked confused and then concerned as he read my note, "We'll explained later," Paul said as the doctor checked him over.

"Well, I think you both are in okay shape to leave. Just make sure you both rest, I don't want to see you here for a while," she said.

We both nodded and the doctor took me back to my room so I could change out of the hospital clothes. A knock was heard and Reggie and Paul came in to take me to their house. I quickly wrote on my notepad asking Reggie where my mom and Maylene were.

"Your mom had to head to Jubilife City to judge a contest much to her dismay, but she couldn't find a backup judge in time to take her place. As for Maylene, she's feeling under the weather this morning, has been for a while actually," Reggie explained.

I nodded and frowned wondering what could be up with Maylene, "You alright Troublesome?" Paul asked.

I nodded and wrote something on my notepad before smirking and giving it to Paul.

"What's it say?" Reggie asked.

Paul shook his head with a slight smile and showed him, 'I'm fine, no need to worry'.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I slowly felt myself wake up to feel something draped across my stomach and something warm against my back. I opened my eyes to find myself in my room and my bedside clock saying that it was 10:45 AM. I gently rolled over to find Gary a few inches from me.

I froze in surprise that Gary was in my bed. Suddenly, multiple questions were going through my mind, but all of them disappeared when I felt Gary pull me close so that his forehead was touching mine and murmured my name softly. I felt a small smile appear and decided to enjoy the moment instead of waking him up.

I closed my eyes and let myself rest til I felt Gary shift a bit a few minutes later. I felt his forehead leave mine as his fingers brushed some of my hair out of my face. I could tell that he was watching me and tried my hardest to not let on that I was awake.

He then kissed my forehead causing me to smile, "You need to do it right," I murmured as I kissed his lips causing him to chuckle.

"Morning," he said as he kissed me back.

I smiled sleepily, "Bet your pretty little mind is wondering why I'm here?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes and blushed slightly causing him to smirk knowing he guess right, "Well, I was the chivalrous boyfriend to carry you back to the house after you fell asleep last night. But when I tried to leave when I brought you to your room, you wouldn't let me go so I just decided to stay here than try to wake you up."

"How noble of you," I said with slight sarcasm as I yawned.

I then heard a beeping sound and groaned, "If that's Lance, I'm gonna kill him," I said annoyed as I reached to grab my compowder.

"Is it?" Gary asked as I read the text message.

"No, it's Dawn," I said quickly as I sat up and texted her back. "Apparently she and Paul have been released from the hospital."

Gary looked at me in surprise as he sat up, "How's that possible after the beating Dawn took yesterday?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Dawn said something about an angel, but we might as well go and see them," I said as I started to get out of bed.

I then felt a hand on my shoulder pulling me back, "Wah! Gary, seriously?!" I complained. "How old are you?"

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

After I texted the girls, I immediately got frantic responds and had to text them to calm down. I silently sighed as I put away my compowder and Gardevoir suddenly appeared causing me to flinch.

"_Sorry to have scared you, Misty said you might need me to help communicate so she sent me ahead of everyone else_," she explained telepathically.

I nodded and smiled as Maylene came out looking a little pale, "_Gardevoir, can you use your psychic ability so that I can talk to her telepathically_?" I asked.

Gardevoir nodded, "_Maylene, are you feeling okay_?" I asked causing Maylene to flinch in surprise. "_Sorry, this is the only way I can communicate with everyone_."

Maylene gave a small smile and nodded, "It's okay, it just took me by surprise. As to how I'm feeling, I've been feeling under the weather for a while now, for at least a month or more."

I raised in eyebrow in surprise, "_Shouldn't you see a doctor_?" I asked.

Maylene shook her head, "It's nothing too big that won't go away on its own."

Hmmm…., "_Gardevoir, can you call Lucario over here, I want to ask him a few questions in private_," I said quickly.

She nodded and soon Lucario walked over and looked at Maylene before looking at me, "_Has Maylene been feeling ill for the past month or so_?" I asked.

He nodded while muttering in his mind how training has been slacking as of late because of it.

"_I think I might know why she's feeling the way she is_," I said causing him to look at me with full attention.

"Everything alright?" Maylene asked concerned as Reggie and Paul sat down.

I gave her a smile and nodded before looking at Lucario, "_I want you to look at Maylene's aura closely for me_?"

Lucario gave me a weird look causing everyone to look at me, "Dawn, what are you saying to Lucario?" Reggie asked.

I ignored him as I nodded at Lucario to do as I asked, he nodded and then placed a paw in Maylene's direction before closing his eyes and his flaps levitated.

A minute later he opened his eyes in surprise causing me to smirk, "Troublesome, will you tell us what's going on?" Paul asked miffed.

I placed a hand to quiet him while still looking at Lucario, "_Let me guess, you saw two aura's right_?"

He nodded before we looked at Maylene, "_I figured out why you're ill_," I said as everyone frowned slightly.

"How did you figure it out?" Maylene asked.

I gestured to Lucario, "_I asked him to read your aura and his facial expression said it all, instead of seeing an aura, he saw two_."

They looked confused and I shook my head in disappoint, "_In other words Maylene, you're pregnant_," I said in blunt terms.

Everyone looked at me shocked, "What?!" they shouted.

"_Well, a person normally has a single aura, but women who are pregnant show two. One is their's and the other is the baby_," I explained looking smug before smiling. "_I'm surprised you didn't catch on sooner. Anyways, congrats you two_."

Maylene looked stunned, Reggie looked surprised, and Paul looked indifferent causing me to roll my eyes at his reaction.

I then stood up and yanked Paul by the arm so that we could give Reggie and Maylene some space, "_You can let go Troublesome_," Paul muttered as we could a good distance away.

I dropped his hand and collapsed under a tree because I was exhausted from the short walk I just did, "Troublesome, you shouldn't have been walking," Paul muttered as he sat next to me.

"_Well I wanted to give them some space,_" I retorted as Gardevoir walked a little past us to give us space.

"How did you figure she was pregnant?" Paul asked with a frown.

I shrugged my shoulders, "_Everyone said she felt ill for the past month or so but it never lasted long in the day so I concluded that she must have morning sickness. But to prove my theory, I figured that when Lucario looked closely at her aura, she would have two instead of one_," I explained before smirking and elbowing him gently. "_Looks like you're gonna be an uncle_."

"Joy," he said indifferently.

I rolled my eyes at his response, "_You are so predictable_," I muttered.

Suddenly I found myself being kissed catching me by surprise, "_You just like to get me flustered, don't you_?" I accused while glaring.

Paul closed his eyes while leaning back against the tree trunk before smirking and opening one eye slightly, "I don't hear you protesting," he pointed out.

I turned my back to him, crossed my arms, and huffed, "_Jerk_."

Paul just chuckled as he gently pulled me back that I was laying against him slightly, "Then I'm doing my job right," he teased.

"_Hmph_," I grunted as I crossed my arms and frowned.

The gang then appeared and looked at me and Paul weirdly.

"Did you guys switch personalities because Paul is grinning slightly and you're frowning?" Leaf noted with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged my shoulders, "_He's just being a jerk in getting me flustered_."

"You guys definitely switched," Leaf concluded as she sat down and everyone else followed suit.

I just rolled my eyes, "You said you lost your voice, did it happen when you got beat around by those thugs?" Drew asked.

I felt Paul's hold on me tightly slightly and I squeezed his hand to calm him down, "_No, as I told Paul, every power given comes with a price_," I muttered.

"Is that why your hair was short when you rescued us?" Misty asked.

I nodded, "_I had to sacrifice something I cared about and I decided to sacrifice my hair since it'll grown back anyways_," I said as I fingered a lock of hair.

"But it was only for a fraction of power?" Leaf asked to clarify.

I nodded again, "_I didn't have much of a choice. There was no way I could get Lance involved, he wouldn't have let me help_."

"With good reason," Paul muttered.

I turned to frown at him before looking back to everyone else, "_With the small power I had, I created ice clones that could mimic a move or two of my powers, but I couldn't keep it up forever. When I was smashed into the bars of Paul's cell, Arceus came to me and said that I could obtain full power, but again with a cost_," I said with mental sigh.

"Your voice," Misty filled in.

I nodded, "_Mew knows I talk so much and I figured that it was worth the loss to save everyone_," I explained.

"Is it permanent?" Ash asked causing Paul's hold to tighten a little more causing me to wince in pain.

"_No, Arceus said it would be gone for a lunar cycle_," I said tiredly.

"We wish you didn't have to do that," Leaf said guiltily.

I gave a small smile while grabbing her hand and giving a small squeeze, "_It's okay, you guys are more important than my chatter box_."

Leaf chuckled before frowning slightly, "Speaking of injuries and such, how are you walking around like you are?"

I sighed, "_When Paul and I left this morning, patients were talking of an angel that came to visit and that they felt better. The only thing that fits that profile along with our injuries being almost completely healed is May_."

Drew frowned but said nothing, "May, but how could it be her? We haven't heard anything from her and she told us not to find her," Misty protested slightly angry.

"_She may have said that, but she still cares about us despite whatever it is she's doing_," I argued. "_It fits May's character to have helped mine and Paul's healing process_."

Misty frowned but said nothing as I noticed two people walking up to us and was surprised to see Lance and Clair.

"Lance, Clair? What are you doing here?" Leaf asked confused.

"To see how Paul and Dawn are doing," Clair said as she looked at us.

"_I take it you're pissed_?" I asked Lance causing both him and Clair to flinch slightly in surprise at my voice in their minds.

"Dawn traded her voice for power," Misty summarized still frowning.

Lance and Clair gave me looks, but I said nothing to explain, "_Here to punish me_?" I asked dully looking at Lance.

"You have broken protocol. You went into a bad guy's hideout without telling anyone what you were doing along with not having back-up," Lance said sternly.

I scowled, "_I didn't tell you because you would have made me sit out when I could have helped_," I retorted.

"You would have been in no condition to help," Clair reminded.

"_But I figured out a way to bypass that_," I argued.

"You still wound up with a bunch of injuries worse than the last time," Clair scolded. "Speaking of that, how are you as healed up as you are and out of the hospital?"

"_I have the theory that May is responsible for that_," I said bluntly ending any further talk about it since I was tired of repeating myself.

"Speaking of May, where is she?" Clair asked.

We all frowned causing Clair to frown as well and Lance to groan, "Hopefully she doesn't interfere with any of our business," he muttered. "She's a nuisance enough as it is."

I glared at him, "_Keep your opinions to yourself. I understand that she has her faults, but you constantly ignore the fact that she has always helped us when we needed it_," I snapped. "_The reason you bad mouth her is because you're in denial about how she goes about saving people and how she does things differently than you do. Well news flash, she is. You make it impossible a third of the time to help people because of the protocol that you deem necessary to follow. Makes me close to quitting and free lancing like May does. Reason I don't is because I'm under Clair's command and not yours_."

Everyone looked at me in different levels of shock as to what I said, "_In other words, just grow a pair and deal with it._"

I ignored the looks I got from people as I removed Paul's arm and began to walk away back to the house with Gardevoir following me. I made it to the family room before I lost all energy again and reached for the wall to hold me up.

"Dawn, you shouldn't have walked that far," Maylene scolded lightly as she and Gardevoir helped me to the couch.

She then brought in tea and frowned, "What's wrong, you look annoyed?"

I sighed, "_I'm just annoyed at Lance's opinion of May along with some of the rules he deems necessary for us to use at PHPA_."

"Does it also tie into your frustration with May leaving?" she asked.

I looked at her surprised that she knew, "Gardevoir gave me a short summary when you were outside," she explained.

I nodded, "_I'm not as annoyed by May's actions as I am with the others, but she still frustrates me as to how she just up and leaves us without telling us anything half the time_."

"Didn't she tell you what was happening with her and Max a couple of weeks ago?" Maylene asked.

I nodded, "_I figured that the reason she up and left this time is because it's personal and she doesn't want PHPA to be involved since one of the rules Lance created for PHPA is that we have to report everything we hear_."

Maylene nodded in understanding, "It makes sense. Now I don't know the way PHPA works, but sometimes not knowing something is sometimes better."

I nodded as I heard footsteps and turned to see Clair before looking back at Maylene and drank my tea, "Would you like some tea?" Maylene offered.

"No thank," Clair said politely as she took a seat in a nearby chair.

After a minute of silence, Maylene stood up, "I'll let you two talk," she said as she left the room.

"_I take it I left before I could be given punishment_," I said sourly.

Clair sighed, "Lance deemed you should be suspended for two months and be demoted to working in paperwork during your suspension."

I gave her a look asking if she was serious, "I'm not joking. Anyway, I find it completely ridiculous. You have too much talent to be stuck doing paperwork. So your punishment is that you're suspended til Thursday and you have no access to your compowder, poketch or any gadgets," Clair explained.

I nodded in understanding, "I don't blame you for being upset at Lance. I actually applaud you for being straight forward and stating the truth. Mew knows the man needs to hear it," Clair muttered. "I understand your frustration in the rules of how the agency is run. The thing is, PHPA was started by a man named Cornelius Barton. His principles on founding the agency were to deal with any form of criminals and helping everyone much like they are now, but his way of running things was different. For one thing, the champions were not involved in PHPA business causing a rift in knowledge and lot of frustration. Eventually, PHPA landed in the hands of the champions and Lance was immediately appointed in charge because of his status as Champion in Kanto and Johto. He then appointed me as second in commander because he didn't really get along well with the other champions. Thankfully, a recent board meeting has raised my status higher and gives me command of the female agents since Lance has a tendency to not have much knowledge in understanding the female mind. Point is, Lance changed some of the principles because they were faulty to him, but the problem is that his methods aren't the right way either."

"_So no compromise has been reached in PHPA's principles_," I concluded.

Clair nodded, "We are just too busy to have time to just sit down and rethink them along with reconstructing the agency so we're stuck with what rules have been set."

"_Just don't expect us to follow the rules if it goes against what we think is right in a course of action_," I warned.

Clair grinned, "Something May taught you?"

I nodded and smiled a little, "_May taught us that if we have a gut feeling about something, follow it even if it's wrong because in the end, you may save someone's life_."

Clair nodded, "It is an instinct agents should have, Lance just hasn't really given much thought into all the skills agents should possess. He's too busy running and helping with the government of two regions."

"_The agency really needs to be reconstructed_," I muttered.

Clair sighed, "I agree, but in the meantime, we'll have to deal with how it is now. Since you guys do a lot of work with May, I'll be less strict with the rules than Lance at times as long as a job gets done and lives are saved. You clear with your punishment?"

I nodded and gave her my compowder and poketch, "In the meantime, don't overdo yourself and get some rest," Clair said as she put a hand on my shoulder before leaving.

I nodded and finished my tea as Paul sat next to me, "_Surprised I blew a fuse_?" I asked.

He shrugged, "You were ticked and I'm sure someone would have said something. What did Clair say your punishment was?"

"_I'm suspended til Thursday and that I had to turn in my compowder and poketch_," I said tiredly. "_Where's everyone else_?"

"They left," Paul said bluntly giving no further explanation as he wrapped an arm around my waist and dragged me down so that we were lying on the couch.

"_I shouldn't be lying on you, I might hurt your chest_," I scolded lightly.

"Let me worry about how I feel," Paul muttered. "Just rest, Arceus knows you need it Troublesome."

I wanted to retort that I didn't because I yawned causing Paul to chuckle, "_Shut up_."


	14. Late Night Snooping

**_October 12th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

I was sleeping soundly until I heard my alarm clock go off causing me to groan. After a few days of rest, I was finally well enough to come back to school whether I liked it or not. I had to because we were given so many days to miss school and I had to save the few that I had left.

I aimlessly reached out to find my clock and turn off the alarm. After feeling it for a few seconds, I finally found it and shut it off. I sat up and touched my hair to feel bedhead, great. I reached for Piplup's pokeball to call him out and help me with my problem. He turned around to see me pointing to my head. He nodded and chirped before using a light Bubble Beam to dampen it so I could brush it out. I patted his head in thanks and returned him.

After changing and sneaking a few knives in my jean jacket pocket, I grabbed my backpack and went downstairs to find that everyone else already there, "You ready to come back to school?" Leaf asked.

I gave her a flat look causing her to laugh, "Still can't talk?" Misty asked.

I sighed and shook my head causing Misty to smile sympathetically, "You'll get it back soon," she said optimistically before grinning. "Then we won't get you to shut up."

I rolled my eyes as I started to eat while listening to the little conversation that was going on. After we were finished, we left for homeroom where I mentally prepared myself for any verbal assault that the drama queens might throw at me. Surprisingly, the early morning went by smoothly enough with only the whispers and rumors, nothing by the drama queen's causing me to be suspicious.

At lunch, I sat down with my food when they finally showed up, "Hey bitch, what's with the new hair, trying to goth up are ya?" Francesca sneered.

I rolled my eyes, having your hair cut short doesn't make you goth, what do these idiots know.

"When my friend asks a question, you answer it," Brandi hissed.

I said nothing as I continued to eat, now I know how May felt when she lost her voice and had to deal with these lunatics.

"Go away Brandi and take your over puffy posse with you," Leaf muttered annoyed.

"Why should we, we wanted to ridicule your friend's hair," Francesca mocked as she fingered a lock.

Without looking up, I grabbed her hand and applied a pressure point to her hand causing her to kneel in pain. I then gave her a glare equaling 'don't touch the hair'.

I then let her go causing her to hold her hand in pain as I glared at the rest of them challenging them to pick on me. Melinda looked scared while the others glared before walking away.

"Nice one Dawn, I think you've mimicked Paul's scowl perfectly," Misty commented.

I gave her a grin as I continued to eat, "Where did you pick up the technique for that?" Gary asked out of curiosity.

I quickly wrote down that it was a lucky shot causing him to look at me in disbelief. I inwardly laughed at his surprise and continued to eat with no other disturbances. The bell than rang ending fifth period and we all walked to the battle arena because our classes were converged today. We took seats on the bleachers and I looked over to see Francesca glaring at me. She then smirked evilly causing me to frown, she was definitely going to pull something.

"Alright class, today's lecture is still continuing the topic of using different strategies," Solidad announced before looking over near our direction. "Yes Francesca?"

"Dawn still has yet to do her double battle test," she pointed out.

I froze and then silently facepalmed at forgetting that I had to make that up, figures the bitch wanted me to do it now.

Solidad then looked at me, "Solidad, Dawn is still recovering from her injuries, can't she make it up another time?" Leaf asked in my defense.

"It's up to Dawn as to whether she's ready or not," Steven answered.

All eyes then turned to me and the gang looked at me in concern. I couldn't blame them, I wasn't much in a position to do a double battle especially since I couldn't speak. May would be able to because she had a telepathic connection with her pokemon, something that I didn't have. Yet, I wanted to do this as a challenge to myself. Over the few days I was resting at Paul's, I practiced with a few of my pokemon in secret and created a system so that I would still be able to give them commands without speaking. The problem was that I created the system for when I was battling one on one, not when it would be a double battle.

"Even if Dawn wanted to battle, who would battle her? Everyone else but Leroy has done the test and he's not here," Misty pointed out.

"I'd be willing to step in," a familiar voice said cunningly causing all eyes to turn to them and whispers to start.

My eyes widened as I looked to where the voice came from. In the doorway stood Ursula with a smug grin on her face. What the hell was she doing here? I thought she was competing in contests in Johto.

"Glad to see you stopped by cousin," Francesca shouted.

I mentally facepalmed again, figures those two would be related.

"Dawn, it's up to you," Solidad called again.

Again all eyes were on me and I looked at Ursula to see she was smirking right at me piercing me with her eyes daring me to battle her.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I stood up and smirked challenging her right back. If I could beat her before, I could do it again.

I then walked to my end of the stage with eyes on me as Ursula did the same while a ref came up to the side, "This will be a double battle, the battle will be over when all of one side's pokemon are unable to battle," the judge announced. "Trainers, release your pokemon."

Ursula took out her pokeballs, "Plusle, Minun, let's go!" she shouted as she threw their pokeballs.

They came out and did their little dance before ending in a cute pose. Figures she'd treat this like a contest battle. I smirked, two can play at that game.

I picked my two pokeballs and threw them out releasing Piplup and Quilava who posed as if they were in a contest as well. They froze slightly seeing who they would be battling, they then turned to me in concern and came to my feet.

I knelt down and smiled while petting their heads. I then grinned in determination and showed Piplup my left fist while I showed Quilava my right signaling for them to watch their respective hand for their commands.

They grinned and nodded in understanding while gently hitting my fists with their head/flipper in a gentle fist bump before racing out back to field and took their battle stances.

"Battle begin," the ref called.

"Plusle, Minun, use Spark," Ursula called giving me no time to call the first attack.

My pokemon braced themselves and dodged just in time following the rules that I laid out for the system which included dodging all attacks since I wouldn't be in a position to call out a counter.

My pokemon then looked at me and I showed one finger on my left hand and two on my right hand. They quickly did Bubble Beam and Flamethrower with no hesitation.

"Dodge them and use Helping Hand," Ursula shouted with a grin.

Plusle and Minun jumped up to dodge and connected in midair to use Helping Hand.

I frowned and showed four fingers on my right hand for Quilava to use Smokescreen hoping to separate them.

Smokescreen hit causing a bittersweet situation. Plusle and Minun were separated, but now my pokemon couldn't see me meaning I had to think of something quick.

I then remembered May using her feet to feel vibrations in the ground, maybe my pokemon could hear my tapping and come toward me.

It was a long shot, but I didn't have much of a choice. I started to tap my right foot hoping they could pick up on the vibrations.

A few seconds later, I could see Quilava's outline through the edge of the smoke. I sighed in relief knowing that at least one of them heard me. Quilava then shouted its name causing Piplup to soon appear as well.

"Plusle, Minun use Charge Beam," Ursula ordered and the attack came hitting not only Piplup and Quilava, but also me as well.

"Dawn!" my friends shouted.

I felt the attack fade and noticed my hair sticking out all over and covered in sparkles as the Smokescreen disappeared.

"Looks we get the opportunity to see Diamond Dandruff again," Ursula taunted.

I stood up and made fists, I overcame this years ago when she did this to me the first time, I would not fall to humiliation again. I smoothed down my hair and quickly put my fists together in front of me before swinging them out signaling Piplup and Quilava that it was time for a combination. I then showed one finger on my left and three fingers on my right.

Both pokemon nodded in understanding and got into place. Quilava then used Flamewheel while Piplup used Bubble Beam to surround Quilava.

"Dodge it," Ursula shouted.

Plusle and Minun jumped up, but so did Quilava causing them to be hit by the attack.

Quilava looked at me as well as Piplup and I quickly signaled for another combination except with Bubble Beam and Swift. Both pokemon nodded and did as told causing Bubble Beam and Swift to circle around Plusle and Minun. I grinned as the stars and bubbles bounced around and went to the center to hit the duo.

Ursula frowned, "Use Spark to destroy the circle," she called.

The duo did as ordered and destroyed the Swift and Bubble Beam.

"Now use Encore," she ordered with a smirk.

I grit my teeth in anger as I watched my pokemon get hit with the attack. This was now the real battle.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I was impressed with Dawn's battling, it seemed she created a system so that she could order her pokemon's attacks giving her some control of the battle. I was also impressed at her determination and acting calm when her hair stood up from that Charge Beam. A while ago, she told us the story of how she used to have a fear of Plusle and Minun when she was young, but that she outgrew it having faced them before in a contest battle. Now I watched as her pokemon got hit with Encore causing her to look anxious and mad.

"She's in a tough spot now," Misty said tiredly with a frown.

"No kidding, at least this isn't timed, otherwise it would be an incredible nightmare for her," Drew commented while frowning as well.

I looked at the battle to see that Quilava understood what just happened because of having experienced this before and was acting calm, but Piplup was looking at itself fanatically in seeing himself covered in sparkles. Quilava shouted for Piplup to calm down, but it did no good as Ursula ordered a barrage attack of Spark causing both pokemon to be hit over and over again. Dawn just watched in anger before a look of remembrance came across her face and Dawn smacked her forehead.

"Now she's got a plan," Paul muttered.

Both of Dawn's pokemon stood up weakly and looked at her she then pointed to the both of them and then swept her arms to cross them. Quilava shouted in understanding while Piplup looked confused. Quilava then explained causing Piplup to chirp and nod. Both then used their attacks on each other causing Ursula to grit her teeth in frustration.

The attacks stopped and both pokemon look exhausted, but Encore was gone and her pokemon were surrounded by blue and red light surprising everyone .

"That was nuts, she used the only attacks she had and broke down Encore," Gary said amazed.

"Not only that, Torrent and Blaze were activated," Ash said excitedly.

I grinned as Dawn did a motion to signal a combination and showed her numbers. Piplup and Quilava then used Flamethrower and Hydro Pump to create a swirling vortex toward Plusle and Minun. The duo couldn't dodge causing them to get hit with the attack and knocking into the back wall. Both of them then fell with swirls in their eyes ending the battle.

"Plusle and Minun are unable to battle, the match goes to Piplup and Quilava," the ref announced causing Dawn to jump up excitedly and run to her pokemon.

Ursula frowned, but thanked her pokemon's efforts as she returned them.

After Dawn hugged her pokemon, she returned them and walked back to sit on the bleachers.

"Well done both of you," Solidad praised before looking at Dawn. "Dawn, you passed your test with flying colors."

She nodded as she sat down where I hugged her like crazy, "That was awesome, you are so telling us how you did that after school," I said firmly.

She made the motion of laughing and nodded before we listened in on the lecture. After waiting impatiently for school to finish, the bell rang and I dragged Dawn out to the front where we waited for Gardevoir to appear.

"Okay spill, how did you create that system?" I demanded as we started to walk back to the house.

"_I created it a few days ago when I was resting at Paul's house. I was bored and figured that I should create a way so that my pokemon could protect me in my state along with having a backup way of communicating in a pokemon battle. Unfortunately when I created the system, I only planned it for using one pokemon at a time, not for double battles,_" she explained.

"So you literally winged that battle hoping that it would work," Misty concluded.

"_I would say I BSed it, but winged it works too_," Dawn agree.

Misty and I laughed while the guys rolled their eyes, "That was still a good battle," Drew said with a smirk as we got back to the house.

"_Thanks_," Dawn said with a grin as she went into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of Oran berries.

She then called out Piplup and Quilava and praised their battling causing them to smile as they ate their berries. Dawn then attended to their wounds before returning them and joined Misty and I in my room to work on homework.

After an hour or so, Misty and I had finished though Dawn was swamped since she missed a lot of school.

"_Argh, how the hell do you do this_?" she complained in frustration.

Misty and I felt sympathetic as we watched her struggle with the Physics homework we had last week.

There was then a knock on the door, "Enter," I called.

"Hey guys," Misty called as I put away my textbooks and binders in my backpack.

"You finished your homework already?" Gary asked in slight surprise as the guys walked in.

I rolled my eyes, "Does that really surprise you?" I asked sarcastically.

"Actually, it doesn't. You're always the goody two shoes who does their homework right off the bat," he teased.

I rolled my eyes as Dawn growled in frustration as she erased something causing the guys to look at her, "Physics homework from last week," I explained causing them to nod in understanding.

Dawn then slumped forward resting her head on her book before shutting it, "_I give up, I surrender to the evilness of circuits and electricity_," she said overdramatically.

"No need to dramatic Troublesome," Paul muttered as he grabbed her backpack and Physics book. "Come on."

She gave him a confused look as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up before dragging her out.

"Looks like she's getting a forced tutoring session," Misty observed.

"Wanna bet they'll make out instead," Gary said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "You would think that," I muttered before smirking slightly. "And they won't for the entire time, just part of it."

"What makes you guess that," Gary challenged.

I gave him an 'are-you-serious' look, "Remember, this is Paul we are talking about, not you."

"Burn," Ash coughed causing Gary to glare at him.

"That explains a lot," Misty teased.

I then blushed at what she was getting at and tried to hit her, "Shut up."

She laughed and dodged, "Nice Mist," Ash praised as they high fived.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

"_You can stop pulling me_," I huffed as we reached his door.

He dropped my arm and I saw that it was a little red, "_What was that about_?" I asked annoyed.

He muttered under his breath, but I didn't catch what he said.

"_What did you…._," I said only for my mind to go blank by his lips on mine.

"_If you wanted to make out you should have said so_," I said with a slight laugh as we broke apart.

"We're not," he said as he handed me my Physics book.

"_Seriously_," I whined before trying to hit him with my textbook. "_Jerk_."

"You don't get anything until you finish," he huffed as he sat in his desk chair backwards.

I smirked, "_So…you want to help me so that we can make out later_?" I guessed.

"Sit Troublesome," he grunted as a light pink covered his cheeks.

I laughed and kissed his cheek before sitting on his bed and began to attack my homework. Not before I heard running and a "get back here" from an annoyed Gary and Leaf.

* * *

(Misty's POV)

After dodging Leaf and Gary, the four of us played video games while Drew went out to meditate much to our surprise though we didn't say anything. Time passed quickly til my poketch showed that it was 10:30 and I was yawning.

"I still think you girls cheated," Gary huffed as he stared at the TV screen showing that the winning results.

"How can you cheat on a racing game?" Leaf asked with a slight laugh.

"I don't know, but you did," Gary accused childishly as he pointed a finger at her.

Ash then leaned over to me, "Wanna bet they'll leave and make out," he whispered with a goofy grin causing me to snicker.

I then felt a pillow hit the back of my head, "I heard that," Leaf snapped.

I rolled my eyes, "Get over it, we're just teasing."

Leaf glared and pointed at me, "I will get you back."

I again rolled my eyes and fake shivered, "I'm so scared," I said sarcastically.

"Go ahead and laugh, but I will the one getting the last laugh," she said determined.

"You are so overreacting," I muttered as I walked toward the stairs to go upstairs.

My poketch then beeped along with Leaf's and Dawn's causing us to freeze, "You have got to be kidding me, now?!" I groaned.

We opened it and read the message causing us girls to groan, "Goodbye sleep," Leaf muttered as the three of us trekked to our small headquarters to gear up.

"Where are you going?" Drew asked as the guys followed us.

"_We have a stealth mission of breaking into some corporation and snoop around for information due to an anonymous tip that there have been some shady dealings_," Dawn said as she grabbed her gadgets of a barrette, three inch heel boots the color of her catsuit, eye shadow, and a pencil.

"In other words, no sleep," Leaf muttered as she got out her compowder to change into her catsuit.

"Okay, I'm stumped. What do these things do?" I asked as I looked at the gadgets after putting on my catsuit.

"_The first gadget is the barette camera, perfect for sneaking photos. The second are suction cup bottomed boots allowing you to climb up walls. The third is eye shadow, once applied, becomes a pair of glasses to hack any computer along with x-ray vision. And the last gadget is a motion alarm which alerts you to when someone is nearby_," a computer voice explained.

I raised my eyebrows impressed as I clipped the barrette to my hair and put on the boots.

"_Always knew that eye shadow was useful. Ooh, it's in a nice smoky blue theme_," Dawn said in awe.

I rolled my eyes, "Alright princess, let's go," I said as I put the other gadgets in a pocket.

Dawn glared at me, but I ignored her as we walked outside, "Have fun," Ash called as the guys stood by the door.

"Enjoying sleeping," Leaf called as Gardevoir appeared.

"Can you teleport us to the place I'm thinking of?" I asked.

She nodded and we found ourselves in Celadon City, "Thanks Gardevoir, you can go home and rest," I said with a small grin.

Gardevoir smiled and nodded before teleporting out.

"So…..where is this place?" Dawn messaged on a holographic keyboard displayed above her poketch since she couldn't speak telepathically.

"I'm not sure," I said while looking around.

"Hang on," Leaf called as she started to press buttons on her compowder. "The building is a few blocks from here."

"So who owns it?" I asked.

"Some guy named Oliver Richards, his deals with importing and exporting medicine and medical supplies. His record's clean along with his company's so I'm not sure why we need to snoop around?" Leaf said thoughtfully.

"Clair said that there rumors that he was doing shady business," Dawn typed.

"Well, I guess we'll have to see if we can find anything," I said determined.

"I still can't believe we have to do this now," Leaf complained with a yawn. "I'm tired."

"We all are so the sooner we find something, the sooner we can go to bed," I said as we peered around the corner and saw the building.

"Guess we better go through the roof," Leaf concluded.

"Let's go through this apartment building and hop to the other side on the roof," Dawn typed.

"Good idea," I agreed.

After sneaking up to the roof of a stingy apartment, we jumped over to the other side.

"How are we going to get in?" Dawn asked.

"Let's see if makeup will save us," Leaf said with a smirk as she put on the eye shadow.

A pair of glasses then appeared on Leaf's face, "Not hard at all," she said with a smirk as she typed in the passcode and got in.

"We should find the security room and mess with the video feed to mask our snooping," I said as we snuck down the stairs.

"And that would be where exactly?" Dawn typed.

"Hmm…maybe I can hack into the building's wifi and snag the blue prints," Leaf suggested as she pulled out her compowder.

"Great idea," I called as she began to press buttons.

I saw her smirk, "Give me ten minutes."

She then closed her compowder and ran down the hall leaving Dawn and I on the stairwell, "Can she really do it that fast?" Dawn typed in question.

"It wouldn't surprise me, she'll probably spike the system with a code to mess with the current feed," I theorized.

Dawn nodded in agreement as we waited for Leaf to report that it was safe to go snooping.

"_The video is now tampered with, but there are guards stationed throughout the building so we need to proceed with caution_," Leaf reported.

"Got it, you tackle the first two floors, I'll tackle floors three and four while Dawn does floors five and six," I directed.

"_Sounds like a plan_," Leaf agreed as Dawn nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Dawn's in agreement," I quickly relayed. "Report anything you find and don't get caught."

"_Roger_," Leaf called as Dawn nodded again.

Dawn and I then split up and I made my way to the fourth floor. After snooping through the lab to find it clean, I began to snoop in the few offices that were on the floor. I activated the pencil and placed it underneath the door in the corner before putting on the eye shadow. The glasses then appeared and I began to scan the computer for anything suspicious. Nothing weird was found causing me to start searching the few file cabinets in the office.

Suddenly I heard voices causing me to freeze, crap! I quickly and quietly shut the file drawer before looking around the room for a place to hide. I saw a small closet and quickly went inside.

I heard voices and saw a beam of light through the crack under the door. A minute later, I heard the voices leave and I let out a sigh in relief as I stepped out and continued to snoop around. I then paused for a moment as I remembered the motion alarm pencil, it didn't detect the security guards' presence.

"_I think the anonymous tip is a bust_," Leaf muttered in annoyance.

"In saying that, I'm assuming you aren't finding anything suspicious?" I guessed as I went to the last office on the floor.

"_No kidding, these records seem to be flawless and I can't find anything sketchy on their computer_," Leaf muttered. "_So far, the second floor is a bust_."

"Same with the fourth," I reported.

"Along with the fifth," Dawn messaged us.

"Since we can't find anything, can we report to Clair that we found nothing and go to bed, it's 12:30 in the morning," Leaf whined.

I sighed, "We can't until we've searched the whole building. If we find nothing, then we'll leave."

"_Fine_," Dawn and Leaf agreed.

As communication ceased, I couldn't help but think about the motion alarm pencil and how it failed to work. Guess this means I better up my guard since it's not working.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I yawned as I continued to search one of the few offices on the first floor. Curse Lance and his "leave no stone unturned" policy, I want to go to bed.

I then noticed a beam of light nearby and froze. Crap, why didn't the pencil pick up the security guards.

I quickly shut off the computer screen and looked around for a place to hide. As I heard voices, I drove under the desk in panic.

"I thought I heard somethin'?" a gruff voice said.

"You're hearing things," another guy muttered.

I heard their voices argue some more before fading away. I sighed in relief, that was close.

"_Anyone annoyed that these motion alarm pencils aren't working_?" Misty asked annoyed.

"I am," I muttered as I tried to get out from under the desk and banged my head in the process. "Ow."

"What happened?" Dawn messaged.

"I bumped my head cause I had to dive under the desk to avoid getting caught," I said annoyed as I rubbed my head. "I say this anonymous tip was a dud, I'm not finding squat."

"_Did you finish searching the first floor_?" Misty asked.

I sighed, "Almost, I'm in the last room for the floor," I reported as I looked around the room and frowned at the size.

I pulled out my compowder to look at the blue prints. This office was about a third smaller than the measurements on the blueprints.

"_Well, Dawn and I found nothing, we're waiting on the fourth floor for you,_" Misty reported tiredly.

I sighed, "I think I found something, well...at least something odd."

"_What do you mean_?" Misty asked.

"The office I'm in is a third smaller than what the measurements on the blueprints say," I said as I walked to the edge of the office that seemed to come up short.

"_We'll be there in a few minutes to look_," Misty called as I looked at the wall.

I kept inspecting between the blueprints the wall and drew the conclusion that there was a room on the other side that was hidden.

A few minutes later, Misty and Dawn came in and then compared the room to the blueprints drawing the same conclusion that I did.

"Let's see if x-ray vision can help us out," Misty said as we applied the eye shadow and the glasses appeared.

I looked at the wall and noticed that it looked like a small office was in there.

"The opening is behind the shelving," Dawn messaged before pointing at what she was talking about.

"But how do we activate it?" I wondered as we looked for a switch or button.

"Maybe pull out a book," Dawn typed before she leaned against a nearby desk and tipped over a picture frame causing a door to swing out from the wall with shelves.

"Nice one," I complimented. "Who knew that a picture frame would be the opener."

"Now let's look around, it's getting incredibly late," Misty said before she yawned.

I went to the computer and began to read the files. After ten minutes, I let my head drop on the desk.

"Let me guess, nothing weird?" Dawn typed.

"Correctamundo," I muttered before thinking in my sleepy state. "Actually, don't you think it's weird that this office is hidden yet there is nothing suspicious on this computer?"

Misty sneezed, "You have a good point, the files that Dawn and I went through showed nothing funny either. So if nothing is suspicious, why hide this office?"

Dawn shrugged her shoulders as she fiddled with rotating a pencil container on the desk to trigger a hole in the floor.

"Okay, did not see that coming," Dawn typed hurriedly.

"No kidding, the blueprints don't call for a basement," I said. "Maybe there is truth to the anonymous tip."


	15. Searching for the Girls

**_October 13th (Celadon City, Kanto)_**

(Leaf's POV)

"Well, let's go down and see what we find," Misty said tiredly.

I looked at Misty concerned, "Are you doing okay, you look a little pale?"

Misty nodded, "I'm fine, I'm just really tired. It is 2:00 AM after all."

I frowned slightly but said nothing as I climbed down the ladder into the hole.

"See anything?" Misty asked.

I looked around and couldn't see anything because it was pitch black.

"It's too dark down here to tell," I reported.

"Hang on, Dawn is coming down," Misty called.

I heard Dawn come down before she released a pokemon.

"Quilava," it called.

I smiled at Dawn's idea, "Great idea Dawn," I complimented before looking at Quilava. "Can you light the flames on your back so we can see?"

"Quilava," he said before he ignited his flames lightly so we could see.

"Thanks Quilava," I said as I looked around while Misty climbed down to join us.

"It looked like there is a tunnel down here, I wonder where it goes?" Misty wondered.

"Only one way to find out," I said as I started walking.

We walked for what felt like ages, "How long have we been walking?" Dawn messaged in what I would guess would be in a complaining tone, not that I blamed her.

I looked at my compowder and groaned, "An hour and a half."

We all groaned, "We are so complaining to Clair after this, no more all-night missions," I said annoyed.

"Hey Leaf, can you track where we are on you poketch?" Misty asked before sneezing.

"Sure," I said as I typed a few buttons and frowned at where we were. "We're under the Viridian Forest."

Misty shivered causing me to sigh, "Misty, there are no bug types down here."

"There better not be," she muttered.

As we continued walking, I felt myself start to feel hot and cold along with feeling slightly achy.

"Anyone else feeling slightly achy?" Dawn messaged.

I frowned, "You feel crappy too?" I asked.

We all stopped and looked at each other in concern.

"This is way too weird, all of us feel achy? This can't be a coincidence," Misty said concerned.

"I'm not sure, we'll look into it right after we finish investigating," I said as I looked ahead and squinted. "I think I see something up ahead."

We walked toward it and saw a ladder as well as a small driving cart over against a wall.

"Something is definitely up," Misty said as I sneezed. "Bless you."

I nodded, "Let's go up and look."

* * *

(Misty's POV)

I climbed up first and carefully pushed up top to let me see a small sliver of light. I looked around to see no one up there.

"It's clear," I called as I got up into the room.

Leaf and Dawn then followed up and we looked around the room to see a chemist's table as well as a file cabinet and a computer on a nearby wall.

"Leaf, you look at the chemist table. Dawn, you look at the file cabinet. I'll look at the computer," I directed.

Leaf and Dawn both headed off to their areas to search while I turned on the computer and applied the eye shadow again for the glasses to appear. I looked at the files on the laptop that talked about the statistics for a flu virus that they were testing. From what I could understand, the results showed that this virus was tested to be deadly and was contagious.

I looked over at Dawn to see her taking pictures of multiple documents before looking at Leaf to see her looking at the samples while taking pictures of a notebook.

"From the looks of this, they were testing this virus and see if they could mutate its DNA," Leaf said as she finished photographing the last page of the notebook.

"That's what the files on the laptop showed as well. From what I could tell, the virus results showed that it was contagious by breathing it in and that it results in death after being exposed to it," I reported.

Leaf walked over to the laptop and applied to eyeshadow to hack, "You're right, but why would a medicine company be trying to mutate a deadly flu virus?"

"Create more an epidemic to create profit from the vaccine?" Dawn messaged in a guess.

Leaf frowned, "It is a very plausible theory, but why would they mutate the virus? It would make it more difficult to produce a vaccine."

Leaf typed something pulled up another file, "What's that?" I asked.

She scrolled through it, "This is a complied file with newspaper stories and pictures are surrounding Oliver Richards."

"The guy who owns this company?" I asked slightly confused.

Leaf nodded, "This is weird. Years ago, he applied to work at PHPA as a consultant for helping with medicine, but he was declined when he tried to put through ideas of using biological tactics in taking down criminal organizations. After being turned down, he started his company to produce medicine for all over."

"But why would we get a tip that he's doing shady dealings, we found no evidence of it. We only found clean records for his company," Dawn messaged.

I began to rifle through the desk and I pulled out folder that was marking 'Plan of Success'. I looked through it and froze at what I just stumbled on.

"Guys, I think I know what's going on?" I said nervously.

"Whatcha got?" Leaf asked.

I said nothing as I gave her the folder, she looked through it and frowned worriedly.

"It looks like Richards is trying to get revenge on PHPA," she said quickly as she continued to skim the file.

"But what's he planning to do?" I wondered as I shivered from a cold chill.

"The virus, he's planning to plant it at headquarters," Leaf said quickly in panic.

"That way everyone there will get sick and die," Dawn messaged looking scared.

"We need to warn Clair," I said quickly only for us to hear a beeping noise.

I applied the eye shadow to look around and gasped as I looked into a room next to ours, "RUN!" I screamed.

Dawn and Leaf looked at me with panicked faces, but did what I yelled. We ran out of the room to go into a hallway that led to a front door. We reached the door as the bomb blew up, I felt the heat as we flew outside and crashed into the trees a couple yards away.

I coughed as I looked at where were to see a huge ball of fire, "Girls, you alright?" I shouted over the roar of the flames.

"Just a couple burns," Leaf shouted as she and Dawn stood up.

"We need to put out this fire before it gets out of control!" I shouted before throwing all my pokeballs up. "Let's go!"

Everyone came out and frowned in seriousness at the serious situation before them, "Corsola, use Bubble Beam, Politoed and Azurill, use Water Gun, Golduck, use Hydro Pump, Gyarados, use Rain Dance," I shouted.

Everyone did there attack while Dawn and Leaf also called out their pokemon, "Espeon, use Sand Attack and Piplup, use Hydro Pump," Leaf called.

After battling the fire for fifteen minutes, we were finally able to put it out. The bad news was that the cabin was destroyed with all evidence along with the fact that it was still raining and that it ruined our barrette cameras, compowders, and watches.

"Worst night…ever!" Leaf said flatly as she sneezed and leaned against a nearby tree.

"Do you think the fire destroyed the virus?" I asked Leaf.

She shook her head as she heaved in breathes of air as if she was having difficulty breathing, "No, he's not that dumb. He would store the virus elsewhere than his hideout which means we need to warn Clair and everyone else before it's too late."

"We can't really do that with everyone's means of communication soaking wet," I said annoyed. "I think what we need to do now is get out of the rain and find shelter."

"How are gonna do that, it's pitch black and we can't have Quilava help us cause the water will hurt him," Leaf argued.

"We'll have to make do and feel our way, we can't just stand in the rain," I snapped slightly before sighing. "Let's at least find a big enough tree to hide under."

"Alright," Leaf agreed as we started to trek off into the forest in search of shelter.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

The guys and I were currently waiting for the girls to come downstairs so we could leave for classes. I checked my poketch again. If we didn't leave now, we would be late.

"You guys better go see if they're up," I said tiredly.

They sighed and nodded before going upstairs to check. A few minutes later, they came back down frowning, "They weren't there," Gary said causing me to frown.

"That's odd, it shouldn't take this long for them to investigate an anonymous tip," I said concerned. "Have you tried calling them?"

The guys nodded, "No one picked up," Ash said.

"We should call Clair," I said as I got out my wallet.

After a few rings, her face appeared, "_What can I do for you boys_?" she asked.

"Have the girls reported in?" I asked.

Clair frowned, "_No, I've been waiting for them to contact me for a while now_."

The guys and I looked at each other with concern, this wasn't good, "_I want you boys to come in and look for them, I'll notify Steven that you won't attend classes_."

We nodded before I shut my wallet and a jet showed up a few minutes later with a hologram of Clair and Lance waiting to debrief us.

"_Did the girls tell you anything as to what they were supposed to do_?" Clair asked.

"Yea, they said they had to investigate an anonymous tip about a company doing shady business," Gary recounted. "They weren't happy about being called so late to do it."

Clair sighed, "_If you ever want to spy on someone without being caught, you do it at night. Granted, I could have given it to them tonight instead of yesterday_," she admitted. "_Anyway, the company they were investigating was RicTec Pharmaceuticals_."

I frowned, "I recognize that name, isn't the CEO Oliver Richards?" I asked.

Everyone stared at me in mild surprise, "_Yes Drew; that is correct. The tip was that his company was making faulty pharmaceuticals so the company could pocket money_," Clair explained. "_How did you know that_?"

"My dad has done a little bit of business with him," I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

"So the girls were sent to snoop around the company and find any evidence to support the claim that their business was dirty?" Gary asked in a recap.

"_That is correct_," Lance answered.

"Could you track their compowders or poketches?" Paul asked.

Clair shook her head and sighed, "_We can't find a trace of it meaning it must have been destroyed_."

"Can you track their movement from the tracking number on file or at least the last place that showed up?" Gary asked.

"_We're running it now_," Clair said as a monitor appeared with a map and a rapid moving small square trying to find the girls location.

The square then blinked rapidly on Celadon City before the map zoomed in on the building. From there the image went 3D with a model of the building and showed the girls' movements of investigating the building. At around 1:50 AM, the girls joined Leaf in a corner on the first floor before they vanished off the map.

"What happened?" Ash asked.

"_That's as much data as the computer could get back_," Clair said.

"What about their communicators, any chance their conversation was recorded?" Ash asked.

"_We should have it since we decided that all conversations would be recorded in case of something like this happening_," Clair explained as we saw movement on another monitor pull up audio feed.

"_This is a few minutes before the girls converged on the first floor_," Clair informed.

"_Anyone annoyed that these motion alarm pencils aren't working_?" Misty said in annoyance.

"_I am_," Leaf muttered before we heard a thump. "_Ow_."

We heard silence, "_I bumped my head cause I had to dive under the desk to avoid getting caught_."

"Pause it for a second," Paul called.

The recording froze, "Did you hear something?" I asked.

He shook his head, "It's what I didn't hear, there was pause of silence before Leaf explained why she said 'ow'.

"So?" Ash asked confused.

"Normally the girls ask what's wrong when one says they're in pain and Misty didn't say anything," he explained. "Which means Dawn must have asked. Can you add Dawn's messages to the audio feed in a IM style conversation?"

"_Nice catch Paul, give it a minute_," Lance said as we saw them add Dawn's messages.

We then read the conversation of what was said and typed from the beginning.

"_Anyone annoyed that these motion alarm pencils aren't working_?" Misty said in annoyance.

"_I am_," Leaf muttered before we heard a thump. "_Ow_."

Dawn's message then appeared, "What happened?"

"_Nice catch with that Paul, now we can fully understand what's going on_," Clair complimented.

"_I bumped my head cause I had to dive under the desk to avoid getting caught_." Leaf said in annoyance. "_I say this anonymous tip was a dud, I'm not finding squat_."

"_Did you finish searching the first floor_?" Misty asked.

Leaf sighed, "_Not yet, I'm in the last room for the floor_."

"_Well, Dawn and I found nothing, we're waiting on the fourth floor for you,_" Misty reported tiredly.

Leaf sighed again, "_I think I found something, well...at least something odd_."

This got all of our attention and we leaned forward to hear more.

"_What do you mean_?" Misty asked.

"_The office I'm in is a third smaller than what the measurements on the blueprints say_," Leaf said.

We looked at the map of building to find Leaf walking before stopping a few yards from the wall.

"_We'll be there in a few minutes to look_," Misty called.

We watched as Misty and Dawn's dots traveled to the first floor to join up with Leaf.

"_You're right, it doesn't match up_," Misty agreed. "_Let's see if x-ray vision can help us out_."

Thirty seconds later, a message from Dawn appeared on the monitor, "The opening is behind the shelving."

"_But how do we activate it_?" Leaf asked in thought.

Another message appeared from Dawn, "Maybe pull out a book?"

There were a few seconds of silence, "_Nice one_," Leaf complimented. "_Who knew that a picture frame would be the opener_."

"_Now let's look around, it's getting incredibly late_," Misty said before she yawned.

The girls' dots in the hologram then disappeared.

"So it looks like the girls found the room, can we get an image of that office?" I asked.

"_It's technically illegal to do that, we'd need proof in order to get their security footage or pictures of their offices, it's a highly secured area_," Lance called.

"Screw that," Gary muttered as he got out his wallet and typed something.

"_What are you doing Oak_?" Lance asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, just responding to a text from Max," he said with a shrug. "Check it if you don't believe me."

Lance frowned but said nothing, "So what's our move?" I asked.

Clair sighed, "_We can't do anything until after dark when we can sneak back in_."

"So we just sit here when they could be in trouble?" Ash asked angrily. "Why can't we go in and search since we know that they were there?"

I sighed and rubbed my face, "Because the girls were there illegally for snooping, we could be charged with illegal search and seizure. Plus, whatever the girls found can't be used in court if this goes to trial."

Ash growled slightly but said nothing, "_I expect you boys to do as you're told_," Lance said sternly before his hologram disappeared.

We sighed and looked at Clair, "_Listen to Lance and bring them home_," she said sternly with a slight grin before her hologram disappeared.

The guys and I smirked, "You heard her, let's find the girls," I said as I walked to the computer panel and pressed a button to create a safe area so we couldn't be listened into.

Gary typed a number into the computer and called Max, "_Hey guys, are we on for gaming this weekend_?" Max asked. "_Actually scratch that, most of you guys will probably be busy_."

We looked at him so confused, "What the heck are you talking about?" Paul asked.

Max flinched, "_You guys are terrible, you do realize what the date is right_?"

"Uh…Friday the 13th?" Ash said uncertain.

"_Well…yea, but what's tomorrow_?" Max pressed.

"The 14th?" Ash answered.

"Max, what are you getting at, we don't have time for this," Gary said sounding a little annoyed.

Max sighed, "_What happened with the girls a year ago_?"

Paul sighed as he rubbed his face, "Crap."

"_Now you finally got it_," Max muttered.

"I'm still not making the connection," Ash said confused.

I sighed, "You guys got with Leaf, Dawn, and Misty a year ago, tomorrow's your one year anniversary," I said bluntly.

Gary facepalmed and Ash sighed, "We're really bad."

"_No kidding, you better come up with something quick_," Max scolded. "_Anyway, whatcha need_?"

We frowned, "The girls haven't come back from their snooping mission last night. We can't find them after they went into a secret office in the RicTec Pharmaceuticals building because we lost the signal of their compowders and poketches," Gary summarized.

"We were able to follow their movements in the building as well as listen to a recording of their communication," Ash added as Gary said the audio and tracking recordings to Max.

After giving Max a few minutes to review the footage, he frowned, "_So what do you need_?"

Paul sighed, "Lance strictly says we can't do anything until tonight when the building will be mostly empty and we can't obtain the security video because we don't have a stable reason to get."

"Can you give us security feed of the office the girls were in?" I asked.

"_I'll do you one better, I have something that just might help us out_," Max said with a grin.

I heard a beep and I looked at the monitor where the noise was coming from, "We'll arrive in Celadon City in a little while," I announced.

"_Okay, I'll meet you there in front of the building_," Max said before his face disappeared.

The guys and I then took our seats on the jet Max sent as it took off.

Gary groaned, "I still can't believe we almost forgot our one year anniversary."

I nodded, "You guys owe Max big time."

"No kidding, it's just weird because we've known the girls for a couple years now and it seems we been together with them for more than a year," Ash said thoughtfully.

I frowned slightly as I looked out the window and thought of May. Our one year anniversary wouldn't be for two weeks and not knowing where she was or what she was doing worried me to no end.

"You alright Drew?" Paul asked causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

I sighed and looked at their concerned faces, "I'll be fine."

They frowned, but said nothing. After a while, we landed and made our way to RicTec Pharmaceuticals. We found Max waiting for us at a picnic table in the park across the street from where the building was.

"So what have you got?" Gary asked.

Max pulled something out that looked a tiny tablet on wheels, "This."

We looked at it unimpressed causing Max to give us a flat face, "Just watch," he said as he pulled out a laptop, a small box, and a joystick out of a bag at his feet.

He set the thing on the ground and began to control it with his keyboard and joystick.

"You gonna tell us what you're doing?" Paul asked bluntly.

Max continued to control the small tablet to the front of the building and hid it behind a potted plant at the front entrance of the building before pausing to look at us.

"It's a new spy gadget I'm working, kind of like a spy droid on wheels. It has multiple functions to take in all sorts of evidence and it also has a cloaking mode that lets it go invisible for a few minutes," Max explained.

I raised an eyebrow slightly impressed, "Let's hope it'll help give us some answers," I said as I watched Max activate the cloaking and go inside the building.

We saw people walking and talking as if it was a normal business day. Max then hid behind a column and zoomed in on a person.

He frowned, "What?" I asked suspiciously.

"I don't think those people are real," Max said as he pulled up a program to scan the image from the live feed was getting. "I think these people are holograms."

We frowned, "What gives you that idea?" Gary asked.

Max pointed to his screen as he zoomed in even closer, "You can see that these people look pixelly, they don't have a solid form."

"Are all the people in the building like that?" Ash asked.

"I can find out by going on the roof and scanning if there are any human auras in the building," I said causing Max to frown slightly.

"Have you trained enough with your aura to do that?" he asked.

I nodded and sighed, "I've been practicing a lot more since May left. I figured if I tried to practice and meditate, I might be able to make a connection with her."

Max gave a small sympathetic smile, "May would be proud of you training," he said as he handed me an earbud communicator.

I nodded as I put in the earbud communicator, "Sneak in to the crappy apartment next door and then you can jump to the roof," Max explained.

I again nodded and made my way to the apartment building. A guy was leaving allowing me to slip in and then take the stairs up to the roof where I then jumped over to the roof of RicTec Pharmaceuticals.

"I'm on the roof," I reported.

"_Can you sense anyone_?" Max asked.

"Give me a sec," I said as I cleared my mind and focused on what was below me.

I found nothing causing me to be concerned, "Max, there isn't anyone in the building," I said concerned.

"_What? That's not possible, there has to be at least a few people_," Gary argued.

"Well, I don't sense anyone," I argued.

"_So why would a building be full of holograms, it makes no sense_," Ash said confused.

"Something fishy is going on here, I'm gonna go in and check," I said as I made my way to the door.

I was about to touch the handle when I heard beeping coming from the earbud communicator, "_Drew, get away from there_!" Max shouted.

"Why?" I asked as I stepped back.

"_The air sensor from the spy droid is screaming that the air is contained with something to raise a huge red flag_," Max said quickly. "_Get back to the park, now_!"

I did as told where Max threw a box into the air to reveal a shield that surrounded me.

"Sorry Drew, but you might be contaminated," Max said quickly as he got out his wallet and typed in a number.

"I liked to report a Code Red on the RicTec Pharmaceuticals' building in Celadon City," Max said quickly before giving the address and hanging up.

Five minutes later, Hazmat came along with PHPA causing a huge nightmare. I had to give up my clothes, shower, and be tested while the guys were getting scolded by Lance.

I put on the jumpsuit the Hazmat guy gave me and was placed in a see through isolated tent as the guys, Lance, and Clair walked up to me, "Have they figured out what's in the building?"

Clair shook her head and frowned, "Now I'm more worried about the girls."

"No kidding, how are we going to find out where they went if our only lead is off limits?" Gary muttered in frustration.

"Actually, maybe we do know something," I said in wonder. "When I was trying to sense any presence of auras in the building I sensed nothing meaning the girls aren't there."

"The question then becomes, where are they?" Clair muttered.

"Champion Lance," the captain of the Hazmat group called.

Lance and Clair left us to talk to the captain, "We have got to get inside that building," I muttered.

"How do we do that, no way in hell are they going to let us in there," Ash argued.

Lance and Clair came back looking extremely worried, "Did they figure out what it was?"

"It's the FM5 flu virus," Clair answered in a whisper.

"Is it bad?" Ash asked.

Lance frowned, "It's one of the worst, it was supposed to have been extinct years ago. But not only is it back, the genetic makeup of the virus has been mutated."

"And it's leaked in the building?" I asked.

They nodded, "Can they figure out when the flu was leaked in the building?" Ash asked in slight panic.

Clair shook her head, "We need to find the girls, if they've been exposed to the virus…" she said as her voice quieted.

"How bad is it?" Paul demanded.

Lance frowned, "The virus is incredibly contagious and is absorbed into the body from inhalation, death occurs in twenty-four hours," he said bluntly.

We froze, "Tell me you're joking," Gary said angrily.

Clair sighed, "He's not. About eighty years ago, there was an outbreak of this virus and thousands of people died before an antibiotic and vaccine were created. Due to that, we were able to contain the virus and it was mostly killed off. Somehow, the virus has been brought back and mutated making the only antibiotic in existence useless. We need to find those girls."

Clair then got out a phone and walked away to call someone, "This can't be happening," Ash muttered in worry.

A hazmat guy soon walked up to us and unzipped the isolation tent, "You tested negative for the virus, you can go."

I nodded as he left and I walked around to Max and the guys, "There has to be another way to track down the girls without having to investigate inside that building," I said determined.

"There might be," Max said aloud in thought. "But there is a long shot that it will work."

"Whatever you have Max, do it. We don't have any other ideas," Paul grunted.

"Alright," Max agreed, "but we can't do it here. We have to go back to my main computer."

Before we knew what happened, we were in the Petalburg Pokemon Center's basement where Max's computer was located.

"How the heck did we just get here?" Gary asked astonished.

I then felt a buzz in my pocket and pulled out my wallet to show a text message from Clair saying to keep her posted.

"Clair gave us a ride," I said as I pocketed my wallet as I looked at Max. "What's your idea?"

"I might be able to hack into the building's security video and get footage of that office the night the girls were there," Max said as he started to bring up multiple windows and start typing in access codes.

"What do mean 'I might'? You're the master hacker here, this ought to be a piece of cake for you," Ash said surprised.

"I have to first bypass the company's security and then bypass the block that Leaf put up when the girls were digging around," Max explained. "The company's security should be no problem, it's PHPA's. As much as I hate to admit it, they are getting better at their security."

"How does it work to get footage when the girl's put a blocking file to block incoming filming?" Paul asked.

"It's rather interesting how that works. When PHPA does that, it blocks the actual recording from being seen, but they keep what they block on file so that they can access it for records and such," Max explained.

We stared at him in surprise while Ash looked a little confused, "It means they put a filter on the video so that no one but PHPA can look into it with the right codes," Max simplified.

Gary smirked, "So you finally have met your match since you deem PHPA might be hard to hack into?"

Max gave him a flat face, "Not in the slightest. I can still hack into it, it just takes a little longer than usual."

I rolled my eyes and smirked slightly as I watched him hack into the company. Max then typed rapidly as he fought his way into the blocked footage.

"Come on, come one," Max muttered as he continued to type at a furious pace.

All the windows then cleared causing Max to raise his fists in the air in victory, "Yes! I'm in."

We smirked at his enthusiasm as he pulled up the video footage and sped forward til we saw Leaf come out from the security room. Max then sped up the video slightly as we matched the multiple panels show the girls snooping around all the rooms. We then played it at normal speed as we watched two security guards walk near to where Misty was snooping around. She froze as she heard the voices and jumped into a nearby closet. After the guards disappeared, Misty continued to look around the office.

Max frowned, "The pencils work fine, I'm not sure why they didn't work when the girls used them," he said as we continued to watch the sped up security footage.

When we saw Leaf poke around the last room, Max set the speed to normal as we watched Leaf dive under the desk so she wouldn't get caught.

We flinched as we watched her bump her head, "That's got to hurt," Max cringed.

As we listened to the girls again complain about the motion alarm pencils, Ash dawned a realization of horror.

"Max, set up a monitor to show a split screen of the guards appearing near Misty and Leaf," he said quickly.

Max did as told and we zoomed in closer to see that the guards looked pixelly causing all of us to slightly panic.

"This is really, really bad. If the guards were holograms when the girls were snooping around last night, there's a very high chance they were exposed to the virus this whole time," Gary said worried.

"We have to find them to cure them along with stopping any chance of the virus spreading," Paul said quickly as we continued to watch the security feed where Dawn tipped over the picture frame and the panel of wall swung out.

Before we could get a good look, the panel swung back in as the girls went inside, "Crap, we still can't find out where they went from there," Ash muttered frustrated.

"Hang on, I think that room has security cameras as well," Max said quickly as he pulled up a new window to enter a bunch of computer codes.

"What makes you say that?" I asked quickly.

"Think about it, this is a company who wants to be secure so their work doesn't get stolen by anyone so all rooms need to be monitored including the hidden office," Max explained as continued to work his hacking magic. "If I go off the security network in the offices that are known, I should find a trace to the one in that office."

After a few seconds, another window appeared and Max immediately burst into action typing one code after another.

A live video then appeared, "I've got it, but I can't keep this program up forever, we'll be kicked off in a few minutes," he said quickly as we watched the girls enter the room and begin snooping around.

After a while, we saw Dawn type something, "Is there a way to figure out as to what she typed?" Ash asked.

Max shook his head, "The shield blocked PHPA's connection in recording what was said and sent, we can only see and hear what the video picked up," he said as we watched Leaf drop her head on the desk.

"_Correctamundo_," she muttered before she sat back up and frowned. "_Actually, don't you think it's weird that this office is hidden yet there is nothing suspicious on this computer_?"

Misty sneezed causing Ash to frown in worry, "_You have a good point, the files that Dawn and I went through showed nothing funny either. So if nothing is suspicious, why hide this office_?"

Dawn shrugged her shoulders as she fiddled with rotating a pencil container on the desk to trigger a hole in the floor. We looked in surprise as we watched Dawn quickly type something in shock.

"_No kidding, the blueprints don't call for a basement_," Leaf said stunned. "_Maybe there is truth to the anonymous tip_."

"_Well, let's go down and see what we find_," Misty said tiredly.

Leaf looked at Misty concerned, "_Are you doing okay, you look a little pale_?"

Misty nodded, "_I'm fine, I'm just really tired, it is 2:00 AM after all_."

Leaf frowned slightly but said nothing as she climbed down the ladder into the hole.

"_See anything_?" Misty asked.

The window containing the video immediately closed causing Max to type rapidly before sighing in frustration and pounded his desk, "I can't get the file back, I've been kicked out."

Gary groaned as he rubbed his face, "This is a load of bull shit. Every time we find something, we get cut off. We don't have time for this," he said frustrated. "We need to get into that office."

We frowned knowing that there was no way that would happen, "I wonder…..," Max said as he immediately started typing and bring up more windows that I couldn't figure out.

"What?" Ash asked as we leaned forward in to seeing what Max was doing.

"Well….it's kind of…..illegal," Max said hesitantly.

We gave him blunt faces, "And that's stopping you?" I asked.

"What I have in mind requires I use top secret technology so I can scan the ground underneath the building," Max explained.

"Do it."

We looked at Paul, "You've always done whatever you had to do to keep your sister safe. This is the same thing. If you care about the girls as much as we do, then you should know the answer," he explained sternly.

Max frowned and nodded before turned his chair around and began pulling up multiple windows. After hacking his way in, he positioned the satellite over RicTec Pharmaceuticals and scanned the ground below it.

"I've got something," Max said as he zoomed in. "It looks like a tunnel."

"Where does it go?" I asked quickly.

Max typed in a few phrases to move the satellite in the direction of the tunnel. The end of the tunnel was in the Viridian Forest.

Max called out Kirlia and directed her to contact May's Gardevoir to have her teleport us to the spot.

Max then walked to a nearby table and handed me a few metal balls as well as giving us a few face masks and communicators, "Throw these into area you wind up, I'll be able to take a sample of the air and analyze it for any presence of the virus," he explained.

We nodded and put on our masks as Gardevoir appeared before us, "Hey Max, does this virus affect pokemon as well?" Gary asked.

Max went to his computer and pulled up files on past cases of the virus, "From what I can tell, the virus has no effect on pokemon," he reported.

Gary nodded as I looked at Gardevoir, "Can you teleport us to where Max found the end of the tunnel?" I asked.

She shook her head, "_I need an image in order to teleport there_," she explained calmly.

"We'll just have to teleport on the edge of the forest, it's the closest we're going to get," Gary said quickly. "Can you teleport us there?"

Gardevoir nodded and we were teleported to the outskirts of the forest, "Hopefully the air here doesn't contain the virus," I said concerned as I threw a sphere up so it could snag a whiff of air.

I then caught it and waited for Max to scan for the virus, "_The air here is clean_," he reported. "_I also sent the coordinates for the end of the tunnel on your wallets_."

"Thanks Max," I called as I returned Gardevoir and pulled out my wallet to see where we needed to go.

"Flygon, let's go," I shouted as I threw his pokeball up.

Gary and Ash followed suit with Arcanine and Charizard before we set off for where the end of the tunnel was located. After thirty minutes, we found the remains of a fire causing us to worry.

"What in the heck did those girls stumble on?" Gary asked in bewilderment as I threw a sphere into the air to catch an air sample.

"No kidding," I muttered.

"_The air where you are is clean_," Max reported.

"Thanks Max," I said as we started to poke around the burnt remains of the cabin.

"Guys," Ash called worriedly as he picked up a snippet of golden yellow cloth.

"The girls were here then, but where did they go?" Gary wondered.

"Before we look anywhere else, we should report to Clair about this so she can send agents to see if they can find anything," Paul said as he got out his wallet to make the call.

Gary then took the clothe sample from Ash and walked to Arcanine, "Sniff this and see if you can pick up the scent," Gary directed as he held the cloth for Arcanine to sniff.

Arcanine sniffed it as Paul walked over having finished his call to Clair, Arcanine then raised his head to sniff the air.

He then howled as he pointed east of the cabin, "Let's go," Gary called as he and Paul got on Arcanine while Ash and I got on Flygon and Charizard.

We followed Arcanine and spotted a huge tree in the distance. Arcanine stopped a couple yards away allowing Gary and Paul to get off while Flygon and Charizard landed nearby.

"Thanks Arcanine," Gary said gratefully as he pet his head.

We tried to walk closer to see if the girls were inside the trunk of the tree when we heard a "Pip lup lup lup" and a Bubble Beam came our way.

"What the…..?!" Gary shouted as we dodged to the side.

Soon a very distressed Piplup came out, "Pikachu, go take a look inside," Ash ordered gently.

Pikachu nodded before scampering to the tree to investigate inside with Piplup. A few seconds later, Pikachu came out looking distressed and cried that the girls were in there in bad shape.

We tried to get closer again but Piplup attacked us with Bubble Beam, "Damn penguin," Paul muttered. "We want to help the girls as much as you so quite attacking us!"

Piplup furiously shook its head as Espeon and Azurill appeared. They then explained how their trainers ordered them that no one was to be near them before they fainted.

I then grabbed a sphere, "Pikachu, put this inside the tree," I called as I rolled it towards him.

Pikachu then guided the sphere into the tree with its tail.

We waited worriedly for Max to give us a report.

"_Wherever you took that sample shows the virus in the air_," Max reported. "_Where did you take the sample_?"

I sighed, "From the tree where the girls are hiding in."


	16. Unexpected Turn of Events

**_October 13th (Celadon City, Kanto)_**

(Leaf's POV)

I woke up feeling achy and felt like all the energy I had was zapped from me. I looked around and saw that I was in a hospital room with the girls on either side of me sleeping. I struggled to sit up and grasped my head from the sudden headache.

I then remembered the girls and I struggling to find shelter in the rain. We then came across a hollow tree and climbed inside. While waiting out the rain, Misty began to complain of achiness and soon I felt the same. It then dawned on me that we were exposed to the virus. After a while when Misty blacked out and I was close to doing the same, I told our pokemon that no human was to come near us as it was a matter of life or death. I then blacked out and woke up here.

I tried to breathe in deeply only to feel multiple sharp pains in my lungs causing me to gasp. After a few seconds of trying to calm myself down, I was able to breathe a little bit easier.

I then heard movement and saw Misty struggling to sit up, "You okay?" I asked weakly.

I heard Misty struggle to breathe as she shook her head, "I wonder who found us?" she gasped.

I looked down at my lap, "I don't know, but I can't help but worry that whoever found us is sick."

I then heard a bed creaking and looked to my left to see Dawn waking up, "You feeling okay?" I asked as she sat up.

She stuck her thumb out and shook it up and down giving a so-so answer, "Are you having trouble breathing?" Misty asked.

Dawn again gave the same response causing me to raise my eyebrows in surprise, "Don't you feel like someone is squeezing your lungs when you breathe?"

She shook her head and looked worried, "I'm guessing you're worrying about who found us," Misty slightly gasped in trying to breathe.

She nodded and my thoughts began to wander to the guys and Gary. Did they find us? Did they know about the virus?!

I felt it become harder to breathe as I envisioned the guys being sick like us.

"Leaf, calm down!" Misty gasped.

"I can't, what if the guys found us? What if they have the virus?!" I said scared.

"Leaf, stop! Your heart rate is increasing too high!" Misty shouted breathlessly.

I then noticed I could hardly breathe, "I….I can't…..breathe!" I gasped as I tried to breathe, but I felt like I was drowning.

As I was trying to breathe, I felt pressure points on my neck before I was hit from behind and blacked out.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

After finding the girls, we immediately alerted Clair who notified Hazmat. They then took the girls away and set up an isolation area within the PHPA medical bay. We then gave Clair all the details we could and she told Max she would overlook his illegal actions.

"Have techs been able to pull anything off of the girls barettes, poketches, or compowders?" I asked.

Clair shook her head, "The explosion and rain pretty much wrecked them, but we're still trying to recover anything," she said tiredly.

Suddenly we heard an alarm blaring, "_Ma'am, we have a situation_!" someone shouted over Clair's walky-talky.

"No shit Sherlock," Paul muttered.

Clair picked up and pressed the side button "Where?"

"_The medical bay_," they answered caused the guys to look at each other with worry.

"What's wrong?" Clair asked as we ran toward the medical area.

"_We don't know, from the looks of the cameras, Green is hunched over, Waterflower just went unconscious, and Berlitz looks to be in hysterics. It also looks like she's responsible for calling the alarm_," the guy explained.

"Get Hazmat medics down there now!" Clair ordered.

We picked up the pace and ran toward a side room that allowed us to look into the isolated area. Medics were surrounding Misty and Leaf while two tried to calm Dawn down.

"What the heck happened?" Gary wondered.

Clair pushed a button on the panel in front of us to allow her to speak into the room, "What's going on in there?"

A medic walked over and pushed a nearby button to answer, "_Green and Waterflower are suffering fluid build-up in the lungs most likely triggered from a stress or panic attack. As for Berlitz, we can't get anything out of her to explain what happened_."

"That's because she can't talk you idiot!" Paul snapped.

I rested a hand on his shoulder to calm him down as we watched the medics take Misty and Leaf away while Dawn sat on her bed, hugged her knees, and continued to cry.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

What have I done, I could have killed her. I just….

I then broke down into more sobs from my guilt. I could tell that Leaf was bringing on a panic attack as she kept wondering if the guys found us and got the virus. I got out of bed and tried to find pressure points like May did to harmlessly knock her out, but I couldn't find them. In the end, I hit her hard on the back of her head and she keeled over. Misty looked at me in shock as I stepped back in horror at what I did and then Misty passed out.

After the Hazmat medics took them away, I continued to be eaten away at my guilt.

I heard faint tiny footsteps near my bed and I looked down to see Piplup holding a pencil and a small notebook.

"Piplup?" I mouthed in surprise as I wiped my tears.

Piplup then raised his flippers and I picked him up and placed him on my lap. I then took the notepad and pencil while giving Piplup a questioning look.

"Pip piplup Pip lup lup," Piplup explained gesturing with his flippers for me to write. (The guys want you to write down what happened since the tunnel.)

I nodded in understanding and wrote down everything I could remember from what was discovered in the cabin to the explosion to waking up here. As I wrote down what happened to Leaf, tears began to fall on the page.

"Piplup?" Piplup asked in worry.

I quickly finished writing my last thought and gave the notepad and pencil to Piplup. He took the notepad and pencil and hopped from the bed before looking at me again with worry. I gave him a sad smile and a nod before he waddled out and I could cry in peace.

* * *

(Paul's POV)

I watched from the viewing window as Piplup went into the isolated area and gave Dawn the pad and pencil. She then began writing for a while and I saw that she started to cry again. She then wrote something and gave the pad and pencil back to Piplup. He hopped down and looked at her in worry, but she smiled and gave him a nod before he left and she hugged her knees and cried again.

I left out a heavy sigh, Dawn….what happened to shatter you like this?

After a while, the guys and Piplup came back with a tablet showing the scanned pages Dawn wrote. I quickly read through them and sighed.

"At least we know what happened," Drew said tiredly as he gave a sympathetic look at Dawn. "No wonder she's broken down."

I set the tablet on the counter as Ash put Piplup on the control panel to see Dawn. I then noticed that Piplup had a few tears running down his face as he watched Dawn cry.

I then put a hand on his head and rubbed it as we both watched her, "She'll be okay," I said softly.

I saw Dawn flinch slightly, but she still hugged her knees in comfort.

Gary sighed, "I guess we foiled Richards' plan since we safely recovered the girls."

Ash frowned and shook his head, "This still isn't over, we don't have the medicine to fight the virus and we still have no idea where Richards is hiding."

Gary then took the tablet and started to tap it and scroll, "What are you looking at?" Drew asked.

"I'm looking at the girls medical charts because it seems strange that Misty and Leaf are a lot worse than Dawn if they have been exposed to the virus for the same period of time," he explained.

We frowned slightly at his point, "It is strange," Ash agreed.

"Have you found anything?" I asked.

Gary's eyebrows furrowed, "From what I can read, it seems it is taking the virus longer to penetrate Dawn's cells than it is for Misty and Leaf."

"How is that possible?" Drew asked in thought. "Some sort of immunity?"

I shook my head, "This virus was supposed to be extinct, how can a person be immune to a virus that's supposed to be dead."

"Well, miraculous things have happened before," Drew pointed out.

I then heard a sharp intake of breath and looked at Dawn to see her sitting straight upright. Did she just hear what we said?

I looked at the panel to see that Ash set Piplup on the intercom button, "Ash, you set Piplup on the intercom button," I muttered.

Ash looked at Piplup, "Whoops."

Dawn then bolted out of bed, but reached for Misty's bed in support. She breathed hard as she scrambled for the keyboard on the side of the wall.

"Dawn, what are you doing?" I shouted.

She ignored me and tried to type as fast as she could before she hugged herself and keeled over.

"Dawn!" I shouted.

Drew then pressed a button on the control panel to alert the Hazmat medics and I made fists with my hands since I couldn't do anything to help her.

"What just happened?!" Ash asked in shock.

A minute later, medics appeared and placed Dawn on her bed before running tests.

Clair then came running in, "What happened?" she demanded.

"We don't know, we were talking with Dawn overhearing us when she burst out of bed and typed something on the computer against the wall before she hugged herself and collapsed," I explained.

Clair then pressed the button for the intercom, "Miller, can you tell me what was typed on the computer against the wall."

He walked over and read the screen before pressing the intercom button to talk, "_It says 'May's healing still exists, the girls stand a chance if…'_. That's all that's here."

"Thank you Miller," Clair said as she took her hand off the button and looked at us. "Do you have any idea what Dawn is saying?"

We shook our heads, "What could she mean by that, it seems kind of rhetoric," Gary pointed out. "May lives which means she can heal, but we have no idea as to where she is right now."

I hand on my chin in thought, "What if 'still' is indicating past tense?" I wondered.

Everyone looked at me, "Okay, but what happened in the past still exists?" Ash asked.

Gary then opened his eyes in shock and facepalmed, "Idiot, how come I didn't think of it sooner."

"Care to share with the class," Drew said sarcastically.

"Okay, so the girls' medical charts show that the virus is having a hard time infecting Dawn because something is helping block her cells from getting infected. Dawn just said May's healing, she's talking about when she was mysteriously healed a couple days ago. She had the theory that May healed her back then, maybe she did and some of the healing power used is still in her," Gary explained quickly.

"Could her blood help Leaf and Misty slow down the virus?" Drew asked.

Gary shook his head, "I don't know, since Dawn is already infected with the virus, it might not have much effect."

Drew's eyes widened, "Wait a minute, Paul was also healed by May. Maybe that's what Dawn was trying to type, the girls have a chance if they are injected with May's healing power from Paul's blood."

Everyone looked at me, "Paul, are you willing to undergo a few tests?" Clair asked.

"If it helps the girls have a better chance," I said as we made our way to a different part of the medical area to have my blood tested.

Later on after they pricked my finger, scientists looked at the sample closely, "Interesting," one of the scientists said in wonder as they looked at my blood sample under a microscope. "The cells are showing some sort of glowing effect and is slowing down the virus."

"Could his blood help slow down the virus inside the girls?" Clair asked.

"It is possible, it can't hurt to try since his blood type is O negative," he said.

"I'm willing to give the blood needed," I agreed.

An agent then came running in and out of breath, "Ma'am, we've gotten a hit for Richards' location."

"Good, pass word to Lance and I'll start sending agents there now," she said as the agent ran out and she looked at us.

"Paul, stay here since you'll be weak after giving blood," she said to me before looking at the others. "As for you, I'm sending you after Richards."

They nodded, "Make sure you get the bastard who did this," I called with a smirk.

They smirked back at me as they left to suit up and I followed a nurse to nearby room to have my blood taken.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

After leaving PHPA, we were dropped off near a lake outside of Mahogany Town.

"Where's the guy's cabin?" Gary asked.

I pulled out my wallet, "Hidden in the forest a couple yards from here," I said as I pointed out the direction.

Gary and Ash nodded as we snuck our way over there and placed our masks on before rushing in to find the place empty.

"What the hell…..Where is he!" Gary shouted in frustration as he kicked a nearby side table.

I gripped my fists in frustration before I tossed one of Max's devices in the air to get a sample. I then looked at my wallet to show that the test for the virus was negative.

"We're clear," I called as I lowered my mask.

Gary and Ash then lowered theirs before we started to snoop out the place. I was looking through the desk when I came across some papers showing formulas and chemical diagrams for the medicine to fight the virus.

"Hey you guys, I think I found the papers to fight the virus," I called as I continued to study the pages.

The guys rushed over and looked at them, "Let's hope they are, we better take pictures and send them to Clair."

As Gary took the pictures, I called up Clair, "_Did you find anything_?" she asked.

I nodded, "We think we found the papers to help create the medicine to fight the virus."

"_Good_," she said with a sigh of relief. "_When you finish up, return back to headquarters_."

I nodded and she ended the call.

I looked over at Ash to see him frowning in thought, "What's on your mind Ash?" I asked.

He sighed, "Something feels off."

I frowned, "How so?"

"That we stopped Richards' plan of infecting PHPA. You would think that since we did, we'd be able to find Richards here," he explained.

"Not necessarily, he could just be hiding out elsewhere," I pointed out.

"I don't know, it just doesn't make sense," Ash muttered.

"Okay then Ashy-boy, if you were in Richards' shoes, what would you do?" Gary challenged.

"I would think the plan isn't over yet because the girls are still alive meaning they can still be used to infect others," Ash explained in thought.

Gary and I looked surprised, "Are you saying that you try to break into PHPA?" I asked.

Ash shrugged his shoulders, "Well, since everyone's attention is focused in finding him elsewhere, no one would suspect him breaking in."

Gary and I looked at each other before we tried to call Clair.

"Clair, teleport us back now!" I shouted as her picture appeared.

She looked surprised, but did as we asked.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned as we appeared in the room where Paul was giving blood.

"Are the girls still in the isolated area?" I asked.

Clair frowned, "What are you talking about, of course they are."

"Check," Gary snapped.

Paul frowned, "What's going on?"

"Ash thinks that Richards has infiltrated the agency to kidnap the girls," I quickly explained.

Clair frowned but immediately brought up security cameras for all rooms in the isolated area. The girls appeared to be resting in the recovery area.

"That can't be right," Ash muttered.

"Ash, it shows the girls there meaning that your theory is just a theory," Clair stated tiredly.

Ash frowned and made fists, "I don't accept that, the security cameras could be hacked. Drew, can you use your aura to look for the girls?"

I sighed, "Ash…."

"Please," he begged.

I looked at him and sighed before nodding. I then took a deep breath and focused on the auras in the area. After a minute, I opened my eyes in surprise.

"Well….?" Ash asked.

"I….I don't sense them," I said surprised.

Clair frowned and pulled out her walky-talky demanding someone in the isolated area to response, but no one did.

She then ran to a wall and pushed a big red button, "We're on lockdown," she shouted as sirens started to scream and the doorways were shut with steel doors.

We immediately put on masks and Clair pulled up facial recognition on the computer, "No one breaks in here and gets away with it!" she snapped before looking at me. "Drew, can you scan for the girl's auras and Richards?"

I shook my head, "Trying to find a specific aura in a huge area like this with a bunch of people is too difficult, I would never be able to sense them."

Clair scowled in frustration before a ding picked up on the computer, "You've got to be kidding me," she said anger.

We looked to see that Richards was one of the Hazmat medics and he was currently in Lance's office with the girls on the floor.

Clair immediately called out a Gardevoir to teleport us there.

Richards smiled when he saw us, "So nice of you to join us."

"Shut up!" Paul snapped. "Surrender, you're outnumbered."

"Please, it doesn't matter. The virus is already circulating through the whole agency and soon my revenge will be complete," he said slyly.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Ash shouted. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt."

"Drowzee, use Psychic," Richards called with a grin has he threw his pokeball.

Drowzee grinned as he used Psychic to throw the girls in the path of the Thunderbolt causing them to be shocked badly.

"Pikachu stop!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu immediately stopped using Thunderbolt causing the girls to fall limply to the floor. The guys then raced forward and held them bridal style.

"You won't get away with this!" I shouted angrily.

Richards laughed, "I already have. I've proven my point of biological warfare being useful and I got my revenge. All of you will be dead soon enough, especially the girls. I say they have less than an hour to live."

Clair's walky-talky then buzzed with static, "_Ma'am, we finished putting together the medicine for the virus_."

Clair then grabbed her walky-talky from her belt, "Send it to Lance's office," she said quickly.

Soon three small cups appeared causing Richards to frown, "Drowzee, use Psychic," Richards ordered.

"Roserade, use Petal Dance," I shouted as I threw her pokeball.

She quickly used Petal Dance to block the attack as I grabbed the cups and handed them to the guys. They gave the girls the medicine as I continued to battle with Richards.

"Roserade, use Magical Leaf," I shouted.

"Use Psybeam," Richards ordered.

Both attacks clashed and the girls screamed in agony.

"What's wrong?" I shouted.

"We don't know, I think the medicine isn't working," Ash called as the girls continued to writher in pain.

Richards grinned, "Of course it didn't work, I only have the formula for the medicine."

I frowned, "Hate to break it to ya pal, but what we just used was your formula."

Richards looked shocked before looking angry, "That's impossible!"

"Highly doubt it, we used your papers from your cabin and some of the best scientists in the world made it," I snapped.

I scowled as I watched him pale with fear in his eyes, "You have the virus, don't you?" I accused.

He frowned, "I haven't been exposed long, I can still make it unlike you."

He then called out an Alakazam, "Use Teleport."

Alakazam's eyes glowed, but they didn't leave.

"Use Teleport!" Richards shouted.

Suddenly static was heard over Clair's walky-talky, "_Ma'am, a glowing figure was spotted in Sector 2_."

"_Ma'am, a ghost appeared in Sector 4_."

"_Ma'am, a glowing girl was spotted in Sectors 5 and 6_."

"_Ma'am, a ghost came by Sectors 3, 7, and 10_."

More reports sounded over her walky-talky surprising us.

"Damn it Alakazam, use Teleport!" Richards screamed.

"I highly doubt you are going anywhere," a voice said sternly in a silvery tone.

I felt my pupils shrink in surprise, it can't be.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Richards demanded.

The steel door blocking the doorway lifted up to show a glowing May in a short, white dress.

"Who are you?" Richards demanded.

May raised her eyebrows in mock surprise and smirked, "A villain actually doesn't know who I am, that's a first."

"Tell me!" he roared.

May sighed, "If you must know, I'm the Guardian of Arceus. Also, I couldn't help overhear that your medicine to fight against the mutation you created doesn't work. That doesn't surprise me because there is no medicine to stop this virus, you mutated to the point where no medicine can stop it."

"That's impossible, you're lying! How could you possibly know that!" Richards demanded.

May then threw me a flask, "Give it to the girls, it'll halt the virus from taking their lives."

"You bitch, tell me how you know there is no cure," Richards shouted as I gave the flask for the guys to give the girls.

"I just know from sensing life from the virus. In other words, it's not really a virus anymore because you created a life that cannot be destroyed. Which in turn means you could potential kill every person on the planet including yourself," May said sternly in a mystical tone.

"No, you're lying!" Richards roared.

May began walking to him, "Am I? I think you knew all along didn't you?"

"There….there was the chance, but…..," he stammered.

"You did it anyway and since you put the word in danger, you are inclined to punishment," May stated.

"No….no….NO!" Richards shouted as May took out his eyes with a knife.

She then set fire to his eyes creating ash, "Your punishment deemed by Arceus is loss of sight so that you can't make anything like this again. Now be gone."

She then moved her hand across and Richards along with his pokemon disappeared.

No one spoke, we were speechless.

"You will not have to worry about him, his punishment for his sins was ordered by Arceus and he will live to suffer with what he almost did," May said as she looked at Lance who frowned.

She then turned to Clair, "I imagine you heard of my appearances throughout the building?"

Clair nodded and looked at May as if wanting to ask a lot of questions. May gave a small smile, "I went through every inch of the agency to heal every one of the virus, this is the last area to be healed.'

She then started to sing the song like she did when she transformed into her healing self to save Arceus, it has to be the most pure, angelic thing I will ever hear.

Her appearance changed to her healing form of Arceus' power while singing as she walked to the girls and pulled a little vial of liquid from her sleeve. She gave a drop to each girl and made motions with her hands as if she was waterbending. Our eyes widened in amazement, the drop then turned to little streams of white energy stretching to all corners of each girls' body til they were glowing white.

The glow then faded and the girls were resting peacefully. May then pulled a ball of light out of thin air that gave off the sound of what sounded like Dawn singing.

"Arceus deemed that she has suffered enough," May said gently as she put the ball to Dawn's neck and it sank in.

She then waved her hand over everyone, but me, to put them to sleep.

May then put her hand down and looked at them. I noticed a few tears spilling from her eyes before she looked at me.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured as she turned to walk away while raising her hand to put me to sleep.

I rushed forward to grab her hand gently and turn her my way before holding her face with the other and kissed her gently.

After a few seconds, I felt her kiss me back and soon an image of a castle appeared in my mind before switching to the image of a little girl with light blue eyes and very light brown hair.

"May….where have you been?" I asked as I held her close.

I felt her shake slightly from crying before she stepped out, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

She then kissed me again, "I love you," she murmured as I felt myself become sleepy.

I then felt myself being gently placed on the ground and kissed again before the world turned black.

* * *

**_October 14th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

I felt someone squeezing my hand gently causing me to open my eyes and see Paul sitting next to me with his eyes closed.

I gently squeezed back causing him to sigh, "You feeling better?" he asked.

"Surprisingly better," I said causing me to pause in shock as well as Paul opening his eyes in wonder.

"So it wasn't a dream," he murmured.

"What wasn't?" I asked.

"May came and healed everyone while also giving back your voice," he explained.

I sighed in relief and smiled, "Thank goodness everyone is okay, the girls were so ill and then what I did to Leaf….."

Tears began to fall as my guilt ate at me. I then felt the mattress dip down on the side and was pulled into a hug.

"You only wanted to help Leaf so that her panic attack didn't make her more ill, your heart was in the right place," Paul murmured.

"But…I….I hurt my friend, I could have killed her," I cried into his shoulder.

Paul chuckled, "I highly doubt that Troublesome."

I then calmed down and nuzzled into his neck while smiling softly at the nickname, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of it."

"Tired of what?" Paul asked.

"You calling me Troublesome, it's grown on me," I hummed.

"I call you that because you are troublesome," Paul pointed out.

I pulled away and crossed my arms, "Tomato tomato," I said pronouncing the words two different ways.

I heard Paul chuckle as he pulled me close and kissed me, "What was that for?" I asked with a small grin.

"Do I need to have a reason every time I kiss you?" he asked while raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I feel that you had a reason this time," I teased.

Paul then kissed me again, "I'm just glad you're well and that you have your voice back, it was really weird having you not talk."

I smirked, "So you missed me talking?" I asked slyly. "Maybe I should talk less."

Paul then kissed me hard, "Don't," he said huskily causing me to blush.

"You just love to fluster me," I accused turning my face away.

Paul smirked, "Think what you want Troublesome," he said as he kissed my cheek.

I said nothing as I leaned against him and placed my head on his shoulder as he held me close. I just wanted to take in the moment peace while it lasted.

After a while, I felt the curtain separating me from the others get pulled back and I looked up to see Leaf and Gary.

I lifted my head up surprised, "How are you feeling?" I asked.

She grinned, "I lot better than I did yesterday."

I pulled out of Paul's hold to get up and walk toward her with my eyes beginning to tear up, "Leaf, about yesterday…."

Leaf raised her hand to stop me before giving me a sad smile, "Gary told me what happened and its okay."

I shook my head with tears beginning to fall, "No it's not," I argued.

"Dawn, I was having a panic attack that was putting me at the risk of death because of the virus. If you hadn't knocked me out, I might have died. So I forgive you, no hard feelings," she said honestly.

I then rushed forward to hug her and she hugged me back, "Glad to see that's settled," Misty said with a grin as she and Ash appeared.

"Hey Misty," Leaf said as she pulled her into our hug.

"At least this nightmare is over," I sighed as we broke apart.

Everyone nodded, before Leaf frowned, "Where's Drew?"

We all frowned seeing that he wasn't here, "Wonder where he went?" Gary asked in thought.

We then heard the door open and Clair came in, "Glad to see that you girls are doing well."

"So are we," I said tiredly.

Clair chuckled, "I can imagine," she said before looking around and frowned. "Isn't Drew here?"

We shook our heads, "We don't know where he is," Misty said as Clair looked around and then picked up a white envelope on a nearby table.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

Clair looked at it, "I'm not sure, it's addressed to all of you," she said as she handed me the envelope.

I opened it and quickly read it with the girls reading over my shoulders before I gave it to Paul so the guys could read it.

"I can honestly say I don't blame him for leaving," I said sadly after reading his apology for leaving to go find May. "I'm surprised he waited this long before going off to find her."

"What are you talking about?" Clair asked slightly confused.

Leaf sighed, "From what the guys told us, May put all of us to sleep after we were healed, but I'm betting she didn't put Drew to sleep right off the bad. They probably talked a little and May told him she still isn't coming back yet. So he probably has an idea of where to find her and went after her."

"Didn't May say that she didn't want to be followed?" Clair asked to clarify.

We all nodded, "But after the past few weeks of us girls getting stuck in tough situations, it probably made Drew really worried so he left to find her so he can give her invisible backup if she needs it," I explained.

"I see," Clair said in understanding. "Anyway, due to the events of the past week or so, you guys are given leave for two weeks of no missions."

We opened our eyes surprised, "Seriously?!" Misty asked.

Clair smiled and nodded, "I think it's safe to say that this past mission was too close to comfort for you so I think you all need a break to recuperate."

She then gave us a teasing eye, "I also heard from a little Pidgey that it's your guys' one year anniversary so consider this a gift."

We gave her a surprised look as she left the room, "Well….okay then," Leaf said surprised after a minute of silence.

"I wonder who told her because we didn't even remember," I said before sweatdropping. "Which sounds really pathetic."

"The guys and I actually did," Gary teased.

Leaf starred at him unimpressed, "Sorry Gare-bear, I don't believe you."

Gary then clutched his heart in mock pain, "That kills Leafy," he whined.

"Seriously though, we didn't remember meaning if we didn't remember, there's no way you would," Misty pointed out.

"That's up for debate, guys can remember important dates," Ash argued.

I felt someone pull my arm and saw Paul gesturing for us to leave as arguing ensued.

I quickly followed since I didn't want to be in the room when the argument explodes.

I sighed, "I still think it's awful no one remembered, but I guess our lives were so crazy recently that we all forgot."

Paul then held my hand as we continued to walk and squeezed it gently, "All that matters is that we remembered before the day passed by."

I smiled and kissed his cheek as we continued to walk toward the pokemon room to teleport out. He did have a point, the important thing was that we remembered and that's all that matters.


	17. The Missing Part of the Story

**_October 17th (Somewhere in Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

"Hey Amy, you really have me worried. Please wake up soon," I heard a familiar voice say.

I slowly opened my eyes to see Katie standing nearby and watched as her eyes showed relief, "Thank goodness, you've finally woken up! How do you feel?" she asked anxiously.

I blinked the sleep away from my eyes and sat up. I looked around and recognized the room as the one that Katie and I live in when not working.

"I feel a lot better than I did," I said with a smile.

Katie smiled back, "That's good," she said cheerfully before frowning slightly. "Do you know if you were sick that it made you sleep for three days straight?"

I nodded, "I think it was a slight cold along with being extremely tired," I lied. "Is Charlotte and the royal family okay?"

Katie looked at me weirdly, but nodded, "I should think so. Nothing strange has happened besides you sleeping for three days straight. You're lucky Mrs. Wemble isn't firing you."

I chuckled, "How is the dear old housekeeper?"

"Grumpy and harsh as ever; she's ticked about you missing work. Thankfully her highness Charlotte overheard us talking about you, she told her ladyship and she told Mrs. Wemble to let you sleep til you were well," Katie explained before looking outside and looked worried. "Goodness, if I don't get downstairs in a few minutes, Mrs. Wemble will have my head. Your uniform is pressed in the wardrobe, I'll tell Lucia you'll be down in a little while."

"Thanks Katie," I said gratefully as she left and shut the door.

I then stretched and stood up to change into my maid uniform letting my mind slip looking back at everything that's happened since two weeks ago when this whole thing started.

* * *

**_Flashback: September 28th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

_We were currently walking fast through the forest in hopes of getting Dawn to a hospital. We left earlier than planned this morning because the pain Dawn was feeling was becoming unbearable. I had to force her unconscious so that she didn't have to be awake while in pain. Paul was carrying her while I carried Piplup as he refused to go back into his pokeball._

_We were about an hour away from Lilycove and I looked at Paul carrying Dawn. I felt slightly guilty that I had to force her to go into an unconscious state, but I didn't want her to feel any pain as we were trying to move quickly in getting back. _

_"Help! Someone help me!" I heard someone shout somewhere far._

_I stopped walking and turned in the direction of where I thought the shout came from._

_"May, what's going on?" Drew asked._

_"I hear someone," I said concerned as I tried to focus on the trees in the distance._

_"May, we need to go," Drew said hurriedly._

_"It sounds like someone's in trouble," I said determined while setting Piplup on the ground. "I'm gonna go investigate."_

_"May, you're hearing things. We have to get Dawn to the hospital," Drew argued._

_I heard the cry again except that it was a little louder, "Fine, then I'm coming with you," he said determined._

_I looked at him and frowned, "No, you need to go with Dawn and Paul. Paul has to take Dawn to the ER so he can't tell the school that you made it back," I argued._

_"May, you aren't going alone," Drew argued again._

_"I'm sorry Drew, but it's not your choice," I snapped while taking my pokeball and tossing it to Drew before giving a small smile. "I'll be back, I promise."_

_I then ran in the direction of the shout and about five minutes later, I stumbled upon a man whose leg was caught under a fallen tree._

_He then turned his head and spotted me, "Please help me, I need to get help for my wife," he pleaded._

_"Hang on, let me help you first," I said as I ran to the log and bent down in trying to pick it up._

_"It's no use, it's too heavy," the man argued._

_I tried again putting all my energy into it and felt it lift up slightly. The man quickly crawled his way out before I let the log fall down with a thud._

_"Are you alright?" I asked as I knelt down next to the man and checked for injuries._

_He nodded, "I'm fine except for my leg, I think it's broken," he said through the pain._

_I looked at the leg that was crushed under the log and placed a hand over it to see if my aura picked up anything. I sensed pain in the area and could tell there was a fracture in the middle of his calf._

_"You have a bone fracture in the middle of your calf," I said as I cut some on my pant leg to bandage his leg from too much blood being lost before helping the man sit up. "Do you live nearby?"_

_He shook his head, but looked extremely worried, "I can't go back, I need to get help for my wife," he said anxiously as he tried to stand up, but fell over._

_I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up, "What do you mean?" I asked._

_"She's been in labor for the longest of time and the baby won't appear," he said worried._

_I frowned, "How long has she been pushing?"_

_"Almost three hours," he said causing me to worry, it shouldn't take that long._

_I mentally sighed, I've never helped deliver a baby, but I learned about it in having to study for that exam Nurse Joy wanted me to take. Hopefully, that'll be enough to help me out._

_I then crouched next to him while putting his arm over my shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to help you and your wife," I said determined as I helped him stand up._

_He looked at me concerned, "Have you delivered babies before?" he asked._

_I shook my head, "But I have a lot of medical experience under my belt from helping in Pokemon Centers."_

_He looked worried, but I couldn't blame him, "Where do you live?" I asked._

_He point to the left, "Over there, it's about fifteen minutes from here," he explained._

_I nodded and we started to walk over there, "How did your leg get caught under the log?" I asked._

_The man breathed in deeply and exhaled before explaining, "I was running to get help for my wife when I tripped and landed face down before the tree began to fall over and pinned my leg."_

_I frowned as I remembered the log, the tree looked healthy so it wouldn't just have fallen over. As we walked, I noticed some string on the ground that was tied to a small tree nearby by. Was this man tripped on purpose?_

_I then tried to focus on any auras that might be nearby, but sensed no one that I would deem strange. I did sense a woman's aura whose energy was incredibly low and an aura of a child who was scared._

_I then looked at the man's leg and saw that blood was leaking through my makeshift bandage. After walking for ten more minutes, I saw a cabin hidden amongst the trees._

_Suddenly I felt more weight on my shoulders and saw that the man was starting to go unconscious, "Come on, we're almost there," I said tiredly through grit teeth as I picked up the pace and made it closer to the cabin and saw the face of a child in the window._

_We made it up the steps as the door opened and the man collapsed on the floor, "Daddy, DADDY! Please wake up," a little girl with brown hair a shade lighter than mine sobbed as she pushed his body in trying to wake him._

_She then looked at me and I blinked in shock as I saw that her eyes were a shade lighter than mine. With her physical features and the emotion of pleading on her face, I immediately saw myself as if I were seven and it was the night my parents died._

_"Please save my mommy and daddy, please…help me!" she sobbed._

* * *

**_Back to the Present_**

I looked at myself in the mirror making sure that I was dressed neatly before going downstairs. While doing so, I placed a fist on my heart in remembering the little girl's sobbing face. I felt my life freeze in that one second and I vowed to help that little girl in redemption as to what happened to me.

I took a deep breath before straightening my lace headpiece before heading down to the kitchen to find Lucia. On the way down, I passed Bridget who was carrying a tea tray.

"About time you were up, thought we'd have to find a prince charming to kiss ya," she teased as she disappeared around the corner.

I shook my head while smiling as I made my way down the corridor to find Lucia talking to Alfred, the head butler.

"Well now, look who decided to finally wake up," Alfred teased with a glint in his eye.

I gave him a grin, "I suppose I decided I was tired of sleeping."

Lucia snorted, "If I were you, I'd still be sleeping for at least a week. Anyway, grab a bite to eat from Martha and then you'll be helping clean the ballroom."

I nodded and quickly went to find Martha. After eating what was left of breakfast, I went to the ballroom and began dusting. While doing so, my mind drifted back to two weeks ago after having the helped the man's wife Adeline give birth to their son. Not even a day passed when the family was hit with more problems. Two men tried to kidnap the little girl and we had to escape on wild Altaria that were nearby. To say the least, it was a crazy twenty-four hours. After having been convinced not to go to Lilycove City, we flew to a small clinic so that Adeline, her husband, and the baby could be checked over.

* * *

**_Flashback: September 29th (Somewhere in Hoenn)_**

_Half an hour passed after arriving at the clinic when Adeline came out with the baby, "Thank you so much for helping us, how can we repay you," she said gratefully._

_"You don't need to give me anything, I was happy to help," I said with a smile. "But if you don't mind me asking, what's the story with your family? Why did someone try to harm your husband and kidnap your daughter?"_

_Her smile disappeared as she looked with a sad face at the baby, "No, it's fine. Having helped us like this, I think it's okay to tell you," she agreed._

_I nodded and waited til she was ready to tell me, "For starters, my husband Stephen is next in line to be King of Galeran, it's a small kingdom in the northern part of Kanto. For the past seven months, we've been on the run from people trying to kill Charlotte," she explained._

_I frowned, "Why are they after Charlotte?" I asked._

_Adeline sighed, "Centuries ago, there was a bad ruler in our kingdom who treated his subjects terribly. A group of knights tried to overthrow him, but they were stopped and their hatred for the royal family has continued on since then."_

_"So a group of knights are trying to get revenge, but why now and why Charlotte?" I asked again._

_"Because this year is the 500__th__ anniversary of the kingdom's existence," Adeline answered. "And they are after Charlotte because her name is the feminine version of Charles, the name of the bad ruler from long ago."_

_"How do you know that's why they are after Charlotte?" I asked._

_Adeline sighed, "When the first couple attempts on Charlotte's life were made, thankfully she was asleep when they happened. Knights would hear something and investigate causing the bad men to leave before they could do anything. One time, a note was left warning us that they would stop at nothing to fulfill their ancient prophecy."_

_I frowned and made a fist, "Did you try contacting PHPA for help?" I asked._

_Adeline nodded, "We did, but they never responded to request for help so we were forced to leave and live in hiding all this time in multiple places since they keep finding us," she said as she began to cry. "It's been so hard on us and we can't go home."_

_My heart went out to them as I watched Charlotte look at her mother with a sad face. At this moment, I was now more determined than anything to help them out especially since PHPA has done nothing to help._

_"I'll help you, I promise," I said as I placed my hand on hers._

_She looked at me with teary eyes and mouthed "thank you"._

_Stephen then came out with his calf in a cast and walking on crutches, "Daddy!" Charlotte shouted in happiness and she gave him a hug._

_As the family reunited, I secretly paid the bill and we then walked out, "Do you have anywhere to go now?" I asked._

_The family looked sad and worried giving me the answer that they didn't, "Don't worry, you can stay at my place, it's not too far from here," I said as I called for the Altaria._

_"We don't want to burden you," Adeline said worried._

_I smiled, "It's no trouble at all."_

_Before we could take off, a laser blast came from nearby causing all of us to look around in panic. The two thugs from attempting to kidnap Charlotte from earlier came out of the trees causing me to groan, "You have got to be kidding me, how hard is it to shake these guys?"_

_I then ran toward them as they ran toward us, I kicked the staff out of one of the knight's hands before throwing a punch in his face causing him to stagger back. I grabbed his hand and threw him into the guy causing them to fall to the ground. They got up, but I quickly fought the both of them before Officer Jenny arrived and arrested them._

_After they were taken away, I went to the royal family and asked if they were okay._

_"We're okay, but how do they keep finding us?" Stephen muttered in frustration._

_I sighed as I looked at Stephen's foot and noticed a chip of silver, "Can I see your shoe?" I asked._

_He gave me a weird look, "What?"_

_"Can I see your shoe?" I said again as I pointed to his foot._

_He still looked confused, but did as I said. I looked at the shoe closely and saw that a tracking device was hiding on the side since the paint hiding it was chipping away._

_"I think I figured out how those knights keep finding you," I said as I took the chip and broke it between my fingers before giving back Stephen his shoe._

_Stephen frowned at the ground angrily as he put on his shoe, "So that's how they have been finding us."_

_I sighed, "I'm afraid so."_

_"But at least this nightmare is over. Since the men were arrested, we no longer have to be on the run," Adeline said relieved._

_I gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"_

_"Only those two were the ones that constantly followed us and I don't think there are any other descents of the knights out there," she explained._

_I nodded, but inwardly frowned, this was far from over._

_After escorting the family to the bungalow to rest, I flew to the outskirts of Lilycove City and walked the remaining way to school. As I entered the academic building toward Steven's office, I looked at a nearby clock to see that it was a little after 10:00._

_As I got to Steven's door, I heard him and Solidad talking._

_"We'll hear her out, I'm sure she has a good reason for not returning on time," Solidad pointed out._

_I knocked on the door and heard Steven say to come in. I walked in causing Solidad and Steven to look at me in surprise, "Talk about perfect timing, we were just talking about your late return," Steven said as I shut the door and took a seat in front of his desk._

_I said nothing as I waited for him to continue, "Now May, everyone from school, with the exception of Paul and Dawn, made it back to school with the given amount of time," Solidad reminded._

_"And according to the rules May, you had to be back yesterday in order to remain here at school. Now I will let you stay here if you explain as to why you ran off from your group," Steven proposed._

_"I have nothing to say," I stated since I decided that for the sake of the royal family, I would tell no one as to what happened or what I planned to do._

_"May, I suggest you take this chance to explain yourself," Solidad urged._

_"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you where I went or what happened," I said again getting slightly annoyed._

_Steven then leaned forward on his desk, "May, did something happen?" he asked in a stern, quiet tone._

_I then stood up since I didn't want to keep being interrogated, "We're done here," I said curtly. "My things will be gone before the end of the day. If you don't mind, I would like the key for the power inhabilitator."_

_Suddenly the door opened and I turned to see Drew walking in and take the key from Steven, "Sorry May, but you're not getting it til you explain yourself," he frowned._

_I glared at him but said nothing as I left the office and stormed past Misty and Ash. I quickly walked back to the house and ran past Leaf and Gary before going up the stairs two at time. I went into my room and locked the door before racing around digging out everything that was mine and placed it in the middle of the room. _

_I heard the door knob rattle slightly, "May, what's going on?" Leaf asked as she then knocked on the door. _

_I then called out Gardevoir as I wrote a brief note for the gang, "Teleport everything to the bungalow," I ordered in a whisper as I placed my poketch and compowder on the bed with the note._

_"May, let us in," Gary said getting slightly annoyed as he banged on the door._

_Gardevoir gave me a look, but did as I asked. I then took all my pokeballs and handed them to her, "Teleport out of here and stay with Max until I come back."_

_"May," she said with a surprised look._

_"Don't ask, just do it," I said quickly._

_She nodded and did as I asked as I heard multiple footsteps and talking outside the door, crap._

_I quickly did a quick look over to make sure all my stuff was gone before escaping out the window and ran toward the cave where I hid out at the beginning of the school year._

_As I was catching my breath, I looked at the inhabilatator on my wrist and sighed in frustration. I had to get it off because it was too risky to wear it for a long time. After getting back to the bungalow with the help of a few wild pokemon, I took a quick shower and called a florist in Lilycove to make a flower arrangement to send Dawn before spending the rest of the day planning as to what I needed for getting the key for the inhabilatator and going undercover to protect the royal family._

_After everyone was asleep, I dressed all in black and made my way to campus with the Arcanine that I helped heal from the poacher last year. After having the Arcanine wait in the shadows of the cave, I snuck my way up to Drew's window and crawled in. I quickly checked to see if Drew was sleeping when I was grabbed from behind and pinned on the floor._

_I saw that my attacker was Drew and struggled to get him off me, but he held his grip as he took off my mask covering, "You're not leaving here without an explanation," Drew said with a frown as I glared back._

_"I'm not telling you anything," I repeated angrily._

_"Can't or won't?" he shot back._

_I looked at his face to see that he was angry and hurt. I couldn't blame him as I didn't want to hurt him, but I made a promise and I can't break it._

_"I'm sorry," I said angrily as tears began to appear and I kissed him hard and angrily._

_I took my chance to deliver short quick punches to his arms and legs so that he couldn't move. I rolled him onto his back and then grabbed the key that was in his hand. I unlocked the bracelet and took it off causing a huge change of energy in the room._

_I then knelt down and kissed him again for a couple of seconds and I felt him kiss me back hard, pleading for me not to go. _

_Tears fell down my face, "I'm sorry," I murmured in a choked whisper._

_I quickly made a rose to place in his hand and teleported out of the room to the cave where Arcanine had laid down. He raised his head as he noticed me standing there trying to not break out crying._

_"I'm fine, let's go back," I whispered as I tried to stop crying._

_He gave me a look, but said nothing as he let me climb onto him and he began to run for the bungalow. As he picked up the pace, I let my face hide in his fur as I let my sobs be drowned out by the wind._

* * *

**_Back to the Present_**

"Amy?"

I snapped out of the memory and noticed a tear was resting on my cheek causing me to quickly wipe it away.

"You alright?" Katie asked as I turned around to see her looking at me with concern.

I gave a small smile as I wiped my eyes, "I'm fine, just got caught up in a bad memory."

She looked worried as she placed a hand on my shoulder, "You want to talk about it?" she asked.

I shook my head as I placed a hand over hers, "No, I'm fine. No need to worry," I said as I gave a small smile.

Katie sighed as she took a step back while placing her hands on her hips, "Amelia Maylen Plenble, I swear one of these days, you will tell me what's troubling you."

I gave a small laugh, Katie has been a good friend since I started working undercover here. After having said goodbye to the royal family as May Maple, I changed my appearance by dying my hair a dark shade of brown and growing it to mid-back. I added contacts to make my eyes a hazel color and wore a pendant to disguise my aura.

I then followed the royal family at a distance to make sure they made it back to their kingdom safely. While there, I noticed that the castle was hiring maids to help prepare for the events to take place at the castle for the anniversary. After having forged my papers needed to be hired, I was giving my maid uniform of a long sleeved, ankle length, black dress, a crisp, white apron, a lace headpiece, and plain black shoes. I was introduced to Katie who was extremely friendly and showed me the ropes.

While working, I've kept an eye on things and have thwarted some attempts made in the night on Charlotte. In my spare time, I studied the hidden passages of the castle as well as researched about the prophecy. I've also made my way in Charlotte's attention as she called me Angel the first day she saw me working and have been close to her ever since.

"Amy…...Amy! I swear to Mew that I will hit you with this feather duster if you space out again," Katie threatened as she pointed her feather duster at me.

I snapped out of it and raised my hands in defense while sweatdropping, "No need to go all out."

She shook her duster at me, "We'll see about that," she said before she set it at her side. "Anyway, as I've been trying to tell you. Lucia wants us to make a few flower arrangements for the sitting room."

"Okay," I said as I picked up my cleaning supplies before heading downstairs to put them away. We then made our way outside to the gardens as Katie put a spring in her step, "Did you hear that we have a new gardener?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I thought the castle was done hiring people to help prepare for the festivities in a few weeks?"

"Well, the new gardener was insistent in saying that he could do better than any other. If you ask me, he's just as normal as the rest of them, but I have to admit, he's handsome," Katie gossiped.

I smirked slightly, "More handsome than your Lewis?" I asked.

Katie gasped, "Of course not, no one is!" she retorted as a blush appeared on her face.

My smirk widened, "You're picturing him the time he was shirtless, aren't you?" I accused teasingly.

Katie's face went a deeper shade of red, "I never should have said anything to you," she snapped.

"It's not like I asked, you just couldn't stop talking about him like everything else," I pointed out. "You are quite the chatter box."

"My mother says that that will be my downfall," Katie admitted before grinning slyly. "But back to the point, maybe we should pair you up with the new gardener. You'd be a perfect pair."

I looked at her in surprise, "How do you even picture that, I haven't even met him?!" I argued.

Katie waved her hand indifferently, "I just know, trust me. By the time of the ball, I'll have you paired with him."

I snorted, "Good luck with that," I muttered as we walked outside.

Having her say she'll pair me up with someone reminded me of Drew and the bad memories I left causing me to sigh.

"How about we put together a rose bouquet, that ought to look pretty don't you think?" Katie asked.

I nodded, "That'll look good, maybe a bouquet of burgundy and yellow if they're in bloom," I agreed.

As we approached the roses in the garden, I saw a guy with dirty blond hair on the ground pulling out weeds.

"Oh look it's the new gardener," Katie pointed out as picked up the pace to talk to him.

I shook my head in amusement, but followed her as she stood over the guy.

"Hey Dan," she called causing the guy to look up.

He smirked as he stood up, "Well if it isn't the chatty cathy."

I froze slightly as his smirk caught me off guard because it looked a lot like Drew's. I then tried to read his aura, but he didn't have any causing me to be surprised.

"Someone seems to be quite taken with you?" Kathy said slyly to Drew causing my face to blush at what she was implying.

"What the heck Katie!" I snapped. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."

She grinned playfully, "What were you thinking then?" she asked.

"About the bouquets Lucia wants us to make," I lied.

Katie tsked at me, "If you were thinking of the bouquets, why were you looking at him instead of the flowers?" she asked as she gestured to Dan.

I huffed, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he's a gardener who specializes at putting flowers together. We don't have time for this. If we take too much time, Mrs. Wemble will find out and put us on chimney sweeping duty," I said annoyed as I walked over to the right rose bushes and began to snip some flowers with the clipper that I brought out.

"You'll have to pardon her, she's normally not this rude," Katie apologized.

"I can hear you ya know," I called.

I heard Dan chuckle as well as Katie walking next to me before she started to clip roses as well.

"Ow!" she cried as she sucked on her thumb.

I chuckled, "That's what you get for teasing me just now."

She pouted me causing me to laugh, "You know you could have worn gloves you know," I pointed out.

"Eck, those things are gross though and it's not like I prick myself constantly. This is the first time that it's happened to me. What I don't get is why you wear hand coverings when you can? Are you trying to hide that pretty ring you wear?" Katie asked.

I looked at her in shock, "Katie," I said trying to shush her.

"I don't see why you need to. It's beautiful with the metal designed as a fl…..AAHH!" she screamed as a Caterpie appeared out of the rose bush.

I inwardly sighed at the distraction, I love Katie, but she doesn't know when to shut up.

"Everything all right?" Dan asked as he walked over to us.

"Yea, Katie got spooked by a Caterpie," I snickered.

"It appeared out of nowhere!" she retorted.

"Katie…KATIE!" I heard a voice shout. "Where are you? You are to report to the kitchen this instant!"

"Oh boy, the devil woman, I better get going. Can you handle the task yourself?" Katie asked me.

I nodded, "I'll be fine, get going before you get in trouble," I said shooing her away.

Katie sighed, "Fine, but our discussion is not over," she said while pointing at me before running to Mrs. Wemble.

I looked to see Dan still standing there, "I apologize for Katie, she's got a good heart, but she doesn't know when to stop talking," I said as I walked to the other rose bush.

Dan chuckled, "She reminds me of my younger sister. She always likes to chatter and get in other people's business."

I nodded as I continued to clip roses, "I couldn't help but overhear Katie say you always hide your hand when you get the change. Any reason why?" he asked with slight suspicion in his voice.

I shook my head, "I wear a ring that's special to me, I don't want it to get damaged when working," I said slightly lying.

Dan looked like he didn't believe me, but said nothing.

"When I met everyone, they said that you were ill because you'd been sleeping for a few days," he said as I picked up my basket.

"Yea, I was overworking and got exhausted," I lied getting a bit uptight by all the questions.

Since I was keeping tabs on the gang through a connection I had, I kept them safe from any real danger. In the recent events of the virus, I had to leave the castle and heal the girls. The power I used caused me to pass out when I returned and I had to rest three days to regain the power I used up.

"I can imagine, the head housekeeper sure sounds awful," Drew observed.

"You don't know the half of it," I muttered as I noticed him staring at me. "Do I remind you of someone, you keep staring at me?"

Dan sighed, "I'm sorry, you kind of do," he admitted. "Can you meet me back here tonight?"

I looked surprised, "May I ask why?"

He sighed, "I want to ask you a few things in private, will you come?"

I stood there thinking of the consequences. Katie would tease me endless if she found out and I could be punished because servants weren't supposed to be up after hours, let alone together with a member of the opposite gender. But…it would give me an opportunity to investigate him.

I nodded, "Alright, I'll meet you here at midnight."


	18. A Promotion

**_October 17th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

The rest of the day had passed pretty quickly and before I knew it, it was time to meet Dan. I changed into the outfit I wore when I first arrived here and placed an aura dummy in bed to help avoid getting in trouble. I then snuck out my way down the servant's passage since it would be too risky in trying to sneak out the window and onto the roof.

After having made my way outside with no issue, I decided to metal bend my ring so that I didn't have to take it off, but it would look different since I was suspicious of Dan displaying no aura. I then made my way into the garden and saw Dan waiting by the rose bushes.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked when he saw me.

"How long have you worked here?" he asked right off the bat.

I raised an eyebrow, "For a few works, I needed work and I noticed that the castle was hiring people to help out til after the festivities."

Dan then took a few steps closer to me, "Can I see your hand?"

"What?" I asked while looking confused to mask my suspicion.

"Can I please see your hand?" he asked again.

I still gave a confused look as I showed him my left hand, "Your other hand?" he asked.

I did as he asked since I couldn't refuse because he would take my refusal as suspicious, good thing I changed the appearance of the ring.

He then looked at the ring on my hand before sighing, "Any reason as to why you're asking me all these questions?" I asked voicing my tone with concern.

He sat down on a nearby bench, "I'm looking for someone and I thought they might be here."

I took a seat next to him, "What gave you the idea that they would be here?" I asked.

"A hunch, we parted on bad terms and I want to try to reconcile as well as help them," he explained.

I was surprised. Not so much as to what he said, but that he told me in confidence.

He noticed my surprised face and scowled slightly, "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just surprised you're telling me," I said honestly.

"For some reason, I feel like I can trust you," he said honestly.

I gave a small laugh, "You this trustworthy of strangers?" I asked.

"Not many, just you," he said as gave a slight chuckle.

"Sssooooo…..…you wanna tell me about the person you're searching for?" I asked hoping that he would reveal more about himself.

Dan sighed as he leaned forward and rubbed his face in his hands. While doing so, I noticed a ring on his finger, a ring that matched mine.

I hide all surprise and now knew that I would have to hide all emotion that would raise a red flag as well as act unlike myself to not give him any suspicion.

"Well, to give a brief description, she's a person who puts others' needs above her own and is willing to do everything to help a person, but she sometimes has a tendency to up and leave without saying anything," Drew explained before frowning slightly. "Not to mention, she has a knack of pulling crazy stunts."

I gave a small chuckle at the last part of his statement, no doubt that Drew was talking about me, "She sounds like an interesting character."

"Interesting is one way of putting it," Drew admitted before he yawned.

"If you want, I'd be willing to ask around if anyone has seen her?" I volunteered.

Drew shook his head, "You don't need to do that, it's my problem," he said as he looked up at the night sky.

"Well, I hope you find her," I said before I stood up and began walking back to the castle.

As I was about to go inside, I thought I caught the movement of a shadow out of the corner of my eye. I quickly looked in the direction of where I saw it and saw nothing. To double check, I used my aura to sense if anyone was still awake. I sensed someone in the direction of Charlotte's room and teleported in the area of where her room was. Since I didn't want my cover to be blown, I opened the door a crack to see what was happening. A masked figure had a knife posed ready to stab Charlotte.

I quickly used Psychic on a nearby metal vase and hit the person over the head. They began to fall over, but I quickly lifted them up with Psychic to prevent them from falling onto Charlotte. I quickly teleported him as far from the castle as I could because if he saw me, it would have blown my cover in protecting Charlotte.

After double checking for any other auras present, I felt that it was safe to leave. As I walked down the halls back to the servant's quarters, the clock read 1:15 AM causing me to groan.

"Talk about no sleep, I have to get up in less than four hours," I muttered.

When I made it back to my room, I quickly changed back into my pajamas and tried to grab what little sleep I could.

I was dead asleep until I felt someone shake me awake, "Hey Amy, you need to get up. You've got fifteen minutes to get downstairs," Katie called before she left the room.

I groaned as I got up and made my bed. I quickly changed into my maid uniform and double checked to make sure that the pendant helping disguise my aura was hidden under my clothes. I went downstairs to the kitchen to see Martha making breakfast with the help of Olivia, Catherine, and Georgia.

"Morning," I called pleasantly with a smile.

Olivia looked at me with a grin, "Glad to see you're awake, thought we'd have to send one of the footman upstands to kiss you awake," she teased.

"Haha, funny," I said as I grabbed some food.

I then went to sit at the table next to Katie and was surprised to find Dan in a footman's uniform across from me.

"Oh Amy, Dan's joining us in the house. Apparently, Henry's still down with a bad case of influenza and Dan volunteered to take his place," Katie explained excitedly.

I nodded and took a sip of my tea, this was going to make things more difficult, "Think you can handle being a footman?" I asked since I knew Drew had no experience being one.

"I think so, it can't be too hard," he said with a shrug.

I took a bite of my pancake and inwardly smirked, it's going to be a lot harder than he thinks.

"Dan, come with me," Alfred called. "We need to get you trained as soon as possible."

"Duty calls," Dan said with a slight grin as he stood up to follow Alfred.

"Wonder how long he'll last?" I muttered.

"That's not nice Amy, I'm sure he'll be fine," Katie reprimanded.

"All I'm saying is that being a footman is a lot harder than being a gardener," I said not wanting to start an argument.

"Either way, I'm sure he'll be fine," Katie said confidently.

I smirked, "Are you sure you're not falling for him?" I asked as I finished eating.

Katie looked at me appalled and hit me with her napkin, "Of course not, I just feel he needs someone to stick up for him."

"Believe me, he can stick up for himself just fine," I said as I finished my tea.

"Amelia, take this tray up to the nursery now!" Mrs. Wemble ordered.

"Yes Mrs. Wemble," I called as I quickly cleared my place and took the tray that was on the counter.

I then took the servants passage up to the third floor where the nursery was, "Your highness, you must finish translating this passage," I heard Ms. Garrett order with as much patience as she could.

"I don't want to, I want to go play," I heard Charlotte whine.

"You will finish translating this passage or you won't get any breakfast," Ms. Garrett threatened as I came in and placed the tray on a nearby table.

"Angel!" Charlotte shouted excitedly as she ran over to me and attacked with a hug.

"Good morning your highness," I said politely as I returned the hug much to Ms. Garrett's disapproval.

"Your highness, you will address the maid by her appropriate name. Not by a nickname," she scolded.

"I don't care, Amy doesn't mind if I call her Angel. You don't mind, do ya?" she asked as she looked up at me.

I gave a small smile, "Whatever her ladyship wishes," I said politely.

"See," Charlotte said happily.

Ms. Garrett gave me a frown, but said nothing, "You may go," she ordered.

I nodded and began to leave, but I felt a small tug on my skirt and saw Charlotte cling to me.

"I don't want you to leave!" she shouted as I felt her begin to shake. "I heard you were sick and I was so scared that you wouldn't get better."

I gave a small smile as I pat her head gently, "I'm fine now, I was just really tired," I said softly. "Now go finish your reading and have some breakfast, you have a big day ahead of you."

"Do I have to?" she whined.

I turned around and knelt down so I was at her height, "Sometimes in life, we have to do things we don't want to do. We just have to buck up and do them."

"Even reading French?" she asked.

I gave a small smile, "Even reading French."

She didn't look happy, but nodded, "Okay, can you stay and listen?"

I nodded as I stood and she then went to her small desk to read the few sentences correctly.

"That was good enough, you may eat," Ms. Garrett said stiffly as she took the tray over to Charlotte before looking at me. "Ms. Plenble, a word."

I silently sighed as I stepped into the hall with Ms. Garrett following me as she shut the door, "I do hope you know your place," she said sternly.

I nodded, "Then I would like you to stop interacting with her highness, she becomes even more disobedient after speaking to you. If you keep this up, I will speak to Mrs. Wemble about this," she said sternly. "Am I clear?"

Crystal I wanted to retort, but I just nodded my head keeping a straight face.

"Good and as of right now, I will request Mrs. Wemble have someone else bring up the breakfast tray," Ms. Garrett said curtly before going back into the nursery.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, I liked Ms. Garrett as much as I liked Mrs. Wemble and that wasn't a lot. I quickly made my way back downstairs where Lucia ordered me along with Katie and two other maids, Ella and Sabrina, to clean the upstairs library.

"Ugh, I hate cleaning the library," Ella muttered. "There's too much to dust, it's ridiculous."

"You shouldn't be complaining Ella, someone might hear you," Sabrina said softly.

"Oh let them hear," Ella huffed as she fluffed some pillows from a nearby couch. "If only I could live here, then I wouldn't have to work at all."

"Well too bad Ella, you do work here," Katie retorted as she finished dusting her area of the library.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" Ella snapped as she got a dreamy look on her face and swung side to side while holding a pillow she was fluffing. "Me dressed up as gallantly as her ladyship, living in the lap of luxury with Dan."

I paused in my work as did everyone else, "I highly doubt Dan shares the same dream," Katie muttered as she continued to work.

Ella smirked at Katie, "I bet he does or are you just jealous that he likes me?" she asked slyly.

Katie snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, I like someone else. Besides, rumor has it that Dan is looking for his love. Apparently, she's here in the castle."

"Yea, I heard that too. He's talked to all the servant girls, including me, in asking if they have seen her," Sabrina added.

Ella frowned, "Of course I've heard the rumors, but I doubt he'll remember this girl of his after I'm done with him.

I clenched my rag wanting to punch the girl silly, but I took a deep breath and unclenched my fist. I had to ignore these jealous feelings or they would blow my cover.

"What do you think Amy, think Dan's girl is here in the castle?" Sabrina asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I've only been here a few weeks," I said as I put down my rag. "Come on, we should finish up or Mrs. Wemble will have our heads."

The girls groaned, but we quickly finished to avoid angering the dragon.

I was later working in the kitchen on some mending with some of the other maids as Dan and some other footman came in for their short break.

"How are you ladies this fine afternoon?" Oliver asked flirtatiously.

"As good as we can get, had to clean the upstairs library, the upstairs hall, _and_ five of the guest bedrooms," Trina said tiredly as she folded the shirt she just finished mending.

"How was your first day as a footman Dan?" Lucia asked.

"It was alright, it was certainly different from gardening," he said as he poured himself some water.

"I should image so, you certainly don't tend rose bushes in the parlor," Katie teased.

"Speaking of roses, who did the flower arrangements in the sitting room? They are extremely gorgeous," Haley praised.

"Amy put them together, she certainly has an eye for flowers," Katie said proudly.

I chuckled, "I highly doubt that, I just thought those flowers looked nice together."

"Look nice together my foot, you have a gift," Haley complimented as she looked at my mending. "Amy, you're supposed to mend the table cloth not embroider it."

Before I could say anything, Lucia walked up behind me and held up the tablecloth to examine it, "Good heavens Amy, did you embroider this?"

"No, I fixed some embroider I noticed unraveling while mending the seam," I explained casually.

"Fixed it my foot, it didn't look this fancy before. You completely changed the design to make it look more elegant," Lucia said amazed causing everyone to look at the tablecloth.

I silently sighed, I had been working on the tablecloth since I've been here. I guess I'd been doing it absentmindedly since my mind drifted to the attacks on Charlotte and worrying about Drew and everyone else.

"Wow Amy, are you sure you aren't a lady in disguise? You can put together flower arrangements and embroider as if you were one," Katie praised causing everyone to look at me for an explanation.

I shrugged my shoulder, "Georgia taught me the basics of embroider and I guess I just have a knack in putting flowers together."

It wasn't a total lie, Nurse Joy taught me the basics of embroider some years ago, but I didn't have the skill for it at the time or the patience. After seeing Georgia embroider a flower design on a pillow case during one of her breaks when I started working, I asked her to help me remember the basics and soon I was fixing up the tablecloth surprisingly. I really didn't think that I had the talent to do needle type crafts because my knitting and croqueting stink. Believe me, I suck at it, but surprisingly, I can do embroidery.

"It can't be that simple, you must have been doing this for years," Haley said surprised.

I just shrugged saying nothing. The bell for the main floor parlor then rang. I looked at a nearby clock and guessed that whoever was in there would like tea. I got up and finished putting together a tray of tea and some biscuits.

I grabbed the tray and looked up to see everyone looking at me, "What?" I asked.

"How do you know that whoever is in the parlor wants tea?" Connor asked.

I smirked slightly, "Feminine intuition," I said as I exited the kitchen for the parlor.

In entering, I saw Lady Adeline looking tired, "Oh good, you brought a tea tray," she said relieved.

I set the tray before her, "Do you need anything else milady?

She shook her head as she started to prepare herself a cup, "No you may go."

I started to leave, but decided against it and turned around, "Is something bothering you?" I asked politely as I walked back to her.

Adeline sighed, "It's Charlotte. Ever since we've returned from our trip two weeks ago, she has been more difficult to control. She's been throwing more tantrums than before and I don't know why. Right now, she's run off from Ms. Garrett because she didn't want to attend her dance class."

I said nothing as I stood there waiting for her to continue talking, "I don't know what to do. Amelia, what would you do?"

I sighed, "It's not really my place to say milady."

"Please do, I'm at my wits end. I'm behind in planning for the celebration as well as my other duties that I about ready to fall apart," she said tiredly.

I took a deep breath, "I feel that the governess that you have for your daughter is not the best choice," I said honestly. "If you'll excuse me milady, I will find Charlotte for you."

Adeline looked at me surprised, "But how could you possibly find her?" she asked.

I gave a small smile, "Don't worry about it milady, just rest and have your tea. I'll return with her shortly."

I then left the room and used my aura to scan for Charlotte's. I felt her presence outside in a corner of the garden and quickly made my way there. I poked my head around some bushes and saw Charlotte sitting with her knees to her chest.

"Your mother's worried about you running off," I said gently as I sat down next to her.

Charlotte sniffed, "I don't think so. She's so busy she hardly notices me."

I shook my head, "I don't believe that. I can understand that your mother is really busy right now, but that doesn't mean she doesn't notice you."

Charlotte sniffed some more and tears began to appear, "I just want my momma back. When were outside the kingdom, just me, daddy, and momma, it was the best time when we weren't traveling. Momma had time for me as well as daddy. But ever since we got back, they are always busy and never see me. Then I have to do all the dumb things Ms. Garrett orders."

She then burst into tears and hugged me tightly. I said nothing as I stroked her head and let her cry. After she finished crying, I pulled out a hanky to dry her tears.

"I know that you don't like the things that Ms. Garrett tells you to do, but the things she wants you to do are important. As for your parents, you need to understand that with the kingdom's anniversary coming up that they will be busy, but they will always think of you," I explained. "You understand?"

She nodded as she finished wiping her eyes, "Good. Now if we hurry, you might have enough time to have tea with your momma."

Charlotte looked happy at the thought and quickly pulled my hand to drag me back to the castle. A few minutes later, we arrived in the sitting room to see Adeline still there.

"Momma!" Charlotte cried as she hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry for hiding."

Adeline smiled softly and hugged Charlotte back while kissing the top of her head, "It's alright sweetheart, just please don't do it again."

"I won't momma, I won't," Charlotte promised.

"Good girl, would you like to have tea with me," Adeline asked.

"Yeah," Charlotte said excitedly as she looked at me to see me giving her a look.

"Yes please," she corrected herself as she sat on the sofa across from her mother.

I smiled and nodded in approval at her change in behavior before I turned to leave the room.

"Hey momma, can Angel have tea with us?" Charlotte asked.

"I don't see why not," Adeline agreed as she and Charlotte looked at me.

I looked surprised, "But milady, it's not my place."

"Nonsense, please join us," Adeline invited as she gestured to the tea.

"If it pleases you," I said as I sat next to Charlotte.

Adeline then poured me a cup as I took a biscuit.

"Before you left to find Charlotte, you said that Ms. Garrett is not the best choice of a governess, may I ask why you think that? Adeline asked.

Before I could say anything Charlotte pouted, "She nothing but a mean ole witch who does nothing but punish me when I don't do what I'm told and she won't let me play or have any fun," Charlotte complained.

"Sweetheart, I didn't ask for your opinion," Adeline scolded lightly. "And you interrupted Amelia, please apologize."

Charlotte then looked a little guilty, "I'm sorry."

I gave a small smile, "I forgive you."

Charlotte smiled back before she finished her tea and biscuit, "Hey momma, can I go play?"

"No you may not, you still have your dancing lesson," Adeline reminded her. "But when your lesson is finished you may."

"Okay," Charlotte agreed as she hugged her mother and then left the room.

"You were going to say?" Adeline asked as I poured myself some more tea.

"I say Ms. Garrett may not be the best choice because even though she gets Charlotte to do her lessons, she doesn't allow Charlotte to have any fun. I think it's important for there to be a balance of work and play for someone Charlotte's age," I explained.

Adeline nodded, "I've heard stories from Lucia that you always seem to have a way with Charlotte in getting her to calm down from her tantrums and get her to finish her lessons, is this true?"

I nodded, "I just try to help when I see her."

Adeline smiled softly from behind her cup, "How would like to be Charlotte's governess?"

I felt my eyes widen and almost choked on my tea, "I beg your pardon?" I asked surprised.

"It seems to me that you have a way with Charlotte in getting her to do her lessons, but to also understand and help her as well. I don't think any other person besides you could be her governess," Adeline praised.

"But milady, I'm only seventeen. I'm way too young to be a governess," I pointed out. "Everyone would be appalled at this."

Adeline smirked slightly, "I doubt that will be a problem. Everyone likes you too much. Besides, having you as Charlotte's governess will help keep Charlotte from being miserable since I'm so busy right now. Will you please do it?"

I inwardly sighed, this would help me keep a closer eye on Charlotte.

"Alright," I agreed.

"Splendid," Adeline said pleased as she stood up and rang the bell.

A few seconds later, Alfred appeared and looked surprised to see me having tea with Adeline, "You rang milady?"

"Please have Ms. Garrett and Mrs. Wemble come in," Adeline asked.

Alfred bowed and left to find them. A few minutes later, both Ms. Garrett and Mrs. Wemble came in and looked surprised and angered to see me here.

"Milady, if I knew that this maid was bothering you, I would have fired her ages ago. She has been disrupting the order of things," Mrs. Wemble apologized looking at me with disapproval.

"I can concur. She interrupts my dealings with Lady Charlotte," Ms. Garrett added. "This girl doesn't know her place, she should be fired at once."

Adeline frowned at both of them, "On the contrary Ms. Garrett, she has been nothing but a hard worker and has my daughter's best interests at heart. Which is why as of now, your services are no longer needed."

Ms. Garrett looked stunned, "I beg your pardon, your ladyship?"

"Your services are no longer required," Adeline repeated tersely. "Please back your bags and leave the grounds by this evening. You will receive this month's payment and Ryan will escort you to town to find lodgings."

Ms. Garrett said nothing as she bowed before shooting me a look of hatred and left the room.

"Mrs. Wemble, Amelia is excused from her services as a maid as she will be Charlotte's new governess," Adeline added.

"But my lady," she spluttered. "She's only seventeen, she's had no experience being a governess, and…."

Adeline raised a hand to stop her, "I'm aware of that, but I trust her judgment with Charlotte's upbringing especially since I'm extremely busy right now. I will hear no wrong doing by you or anyone else about this. If I hear one word against Amelia, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly madam," Mrs. Wemble relented.

"Good," Adeline said with a nod. "Amelia will take residence in the nursery once Ms. Garrett has left. She will also come directly to me with any concerns."

"Is that all?" Mrs. Wemble asked.

"Yes, you may go," Adeline said. "Please take the tea tray with you."

Mrs. Wemble nodded and took the tray before leaving.

I was still sitting there stunned as to what was happening. The upside was that I would be closer to Charlotte making it easier for me to keep an eye on her. The downside was that I would have a lot of attention on me because of being Charlotte's governess out of the blue.

After Mrs. Wemble shut the door, Adeline told me everything that I needed to know about protocol and all the lessons and activities that Charlotte had to do. She then sent me to the seamstress to have her take my measurements so that she could adjust a few of Adeline's old gowns to fit me for my governess uniform.

"Your dresses should be ready by tomorrow," Patty said with a smile as she rolled up her tape measure.

"Okay, thanks Patty," I said with a grin.

I then went into the kitchen to find everyone helping get everything ready for dinner.

"What are you doing down here, you should be upstairs watchin' her young ladyship," Martha scolded.

"She's with her parents right now, I'll take charge of her after dinner is finished," I explained.

"Still though, you're lucky Amy. You go from maid to governess in a few weeks," Katie said surprised.

"I really didn't expect to, it's what her ladyship wanted," I said as I put some entrees on to a platter for the footman to take upstairs.

"Hey Amy, can you help the footman carry these platters upstairs?" Lucia asked.

I nodded and began to help carry stuff upstairs.

I set the platters on the table against the dining room wall when Adeline noticed me, "Ah Amelia, please stay a moment."

I froze at the sudden call of attention causing everyone to look at me. I quickly regained my composure and walked over to her.

Charlotte looked happy to see me while everyone else was confused and wondering.

"Charlotte sweetheart, Ms. Garrett has been dismissed as your governess and Amelia will take her place," Adeline announced with a small smile.

Charlotte's smile grew bigger, "Really?"

Adeline nodded causing Charlotte to run towards me and attack with a hug, "I'm really happy you're my governess Angel."

I gave a small smile as I knelt down to match her height, "As am I, but you need to remember to call me Miss Amelia or Miss Amy when guests are present," I scolded lightly in a whisper.

I then stood up as Charlotte gave a mock salute, "Yes ma'am," she said enthusiastically before returning to her place at the table.

"Amelia, you are dismissed," Adeline called.

I nodded and gave a small curtesy before leaving the room with everyone staring at me.

While dinner continued on, I helped in the kitchen with whatever was asked of me til the footman came down with the dirty dishes.

"I have to say Amy, you certainly left an impression on everyone," Dan said as he took a seat next to me at the table.

"What makes you say that?" I asked as I looked up from the cloth napkin I was embroidering.

"Everyone was shocked by her ladyship making you Charlotte's governess. His lordship and his majesty were okay about it, but not so much the few guests. They believe in the past ideals of child raising and they think you will break tradition," he explained with a smirk.

I smirked back before continuing to embroider, "I certainly hope so, otherwise my reason for becoming a governess in the first place will be all for naught," I said overdramatically causing some reactions of shock and amusement.

"Watch your tongue Amy, it'll get you kicked out for sure," Ella sniffed.

"I highly doubt that, I tend to look after Charlotte in a way that most would deem ridiculous. In the end, the result of how her little ladyship acts will judge whether I was a good governess or not," I explained.

"Was? Do you not expect to be a governess for long?" Katie asked.

"Of course not, it'll only be temporary til after the kingdoms celebration and when her ladyship can find a permanent replacement," I said to cover my slip up.

Lucia then came downstairs and entered the kitchen, "Amy, you're to take charge of her little ladyship."

I nodded and made my way upstairs to the parlor where the women were chatting. I spotted Amy sitting next to her mother looking sleepy.

"Ah Amelia, please take Charlotte upstairs and put her to bed," Adeline said as she gently shook her daughter awake.

"Huh?" Charlotte asked sleepily.

"Time for bed," I said as I offered her my hand.

She nodded and took my hand. We then made our way up to the nursery where I helped her get ready for bed and tucked her in.

"Hey Angel, can you tell me a story?" Charlotte asked sleepily.

"What kind of story?" I asked as I took a seat on the edge of her bed.

She yawned, "A legend."

I looked out the window in thought, "Let's see…Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived with her loving parents and baby brother. One day, tragedy struck and the little girl lost her parents. She then wondered if she would ever find a family. That same night, a woman from nearby decided to raise the little girl and her brother as if they were her own children making the little girl feel safe, but she still felt alone."

"Wait, how can the little girl feel safe yet alone?" Charlotte asked.

"She felt safe that someone was watching her, but she still felt along because the person watching her wasn't her mommy or daddy. She missed them very much. When she was old enough to travel, she considered not living," I continued.

Charlotte gasped as she sat up, "She wanted to die? But why?"

"Because she felt she was all alone in the world," I explained as I gently tucked her back into bed. "The day she thought she would die, a pokemon stopped her and became her partner on her journey. They had many adventures together."

I looked at Charlotte to see that she was fighting to stay awake, "Something you will learn tomorrow," I said as I stood up to turn out the light.

"But, I want to know," Charlotte complained sleepily.

I chuckled, "I'll tell more of the story tomorrow night, alright?"

Charlotte frowned but nodded, "Okay," she agreed.

"Good, now go to sleep," I said gently as I brushed her bangs aside before walking to the door.

"Good night Angel," she called.

I gave a small smile, "Good night."

I then walked into the governess' room connected to Charlotte's and noticed Dan there with a tea tray.

"Good grief Dan, you almost gave me a heart attack," I spluttered in surprise in seeing him here.

"Katie figured you'd like some tea and I offered to bring up the tray," he said.

"How long have you been in here?" I asked slightly suspicious.

"Only a few minutes," he said shrugging his shoulders before smirking. "Why, afraid I'll snoop around?"

Yes, "No, I was worried someone might see you in here," I lied.

"I doubt that everyone is still downstairs," he said. "Do you need anything else?"

I shook my head, "Good night Dan."

He nodded and left causing me to shiver at his sudden appearance. I walked to the window to look out at the night as I hugged myself. That was way too close for comfort, I need to be more careful otherwise this whole thing could blow up in my face.


	19. Scares and Discoveries

**_October 21st (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

"But I don't want you and Daddy to go!" Charlotte cried as she clung to Adeline's waist.

Adeline hugged her close before kneeling down to look at Charlotte, "It's only for a few days sweetie. Your father and I have to go visit a few places to make sure everything is ready for the festival next week."

"B…but I still don't want you too," Charlotte sniffed as she began to cry.

I took a step forward, "Don't worry Lottie, they'll be back before you know it," I said gently.

She looked at me and wiped her eyes nodding before hugging her mom again.

"While we're gone, I expect you to be on your best behavior," Stephen said as he knelt down to hug Charlotte. "If you're good, there may be a present when we come back."

Charlotte eyes widened in wonder before she smiled and looked determined, "I'll be a good girl daddy, I promise."

Stephen gave a small chuckle before kissing her forehead, "Good girl."

Stephen and Adeline then got into the car and departed.

"Well Lottie, let's work on your lessons for a little bit and then after lunch, you can ride Starlight," I told her as we walked back into the castle.

"Okay Angel," Lottie chirped as she ran up the stairs for the nursery.

I made my way up the stairs and passed Katie carrying a mop and bucket, "Ow's her highness?" she asked.

I sighed, "She put up a little fuss in not wanting their majesties to go, but she calmed down when his lordship promised her a gift on their return if she behaved."

Katie nodded, "Katie, you not getting paid to chat!" Mrs. Wemble snapped as she appeared in the hallway.

I gave Katie a sympathetic look as I went up another flight of stairs and walked into the nursery.

"I finished my sums," Charlotte announced as I walked to her little desk.

I took the notepad she gave me and checked her work. I then put it down and smiled, "Good work, you're getting better."

Charlotte beamed at me as I grabbed her penmanship book, "Just practice this page and we'll call it done."

"Okay," Charlotte called as she started to write.

I then walked over to my room and grabbed a book I found in the library last night about the structure of the castle. I returned to sit in a chair near Charlotte's desk and continued to the study the recorded secret passages in the castle.

Before I knew it, Charlotte was finished and I checked to see that her writing was decent. I had her practice her s's a little bit before I gave her permission to play with her dolls.

I went back to reading my book when I read about a secret passage that went from the nursery where Charlotte was to a hidden room that had a passage going outside.

I frowned, that would explain as to how all those men kept showing up in Charlotte's room. They must have known about this secret passage.

I continued to look at the blueprints of the castle to locate more secret passages til a knock was heard at the door. I opened it up to see Dan carrying the lunch tray.

"Dan!" Charlotte called excitedly as she ran up to him.

I took the tray from Dan so he could give his full attention to her, "Do you have a flower for me?" Charlotte asked in hope.

Dan put a thinking look on his face before the expression changed to equaling "Ah-ha" as put his hand behind him and had a yellow rose appear before Charlotte.

Her face lit up as she took the rose and smelled it, "Thank you!"

Drew gave a soft smile and bowed.

"Do you have a rose for Angel?" she asked.

Dan gave me a look of amusement as he reached behind him and pulled a pink rose.

"If it pleases me lady," Dan teased.

I took the rose and smelled it, "Why thank you kind sir," I said playfully.

Charlotte giggled causing me to give her my attention, "What's so funny?"

"You and Dan are funny," she said still giggling. "Are you together?"

"No we are not," I said as I went to put my rose in a vase with the two Drew gave me and Charlotte yesterday.

Charlotte pouted, "But you look good together."

"How would you know?" I asked chuckling slightly.

Charlotte still pouted, "I just do," she said stubbornly as she stomped a foot in emphasis.

I shook my head in amusement, "Alright Lottie, go wash your hands and then you can eat."

"Okay," she chirped as she went to the small sink in the room and washed her hands.

I then turned my attention to Drew, "Any luck finding your girl?"

His smile turned to a slight frown as he looked out the window, "No, but it doesn't surprise me," he said quietly.

I raised an eyebrow, "Why doesn't it surprise you?"

He flinched slightly and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when Charlotte came back.

"I hope you ladies enjoy your lunch," he said as he gave a small bow before heading to the door.

I watched him leave and frowned slightly, he let himself slip. What he said hurt slightly, but he did have a point. If I blend in, I won't be found. At least….not easily.

"Angel, aren't you going to eat?" Charlotte asked while tilting her head slightly.

I put a small smile on my face, "Of course I am, I just was lost in thought for a second."

I took a seat at the small table in the room and took off the coverings of the food causing Charlotte to gasp in delight.

"Yea, all of my favorites!" she said excitedly as she tried to start shoveling food into her mouth.

I gave a tap on her hand making her stop and to glare at me, "Eat it like a lady," I reprimanded.

She pouted, "Fine," she muttered as she started to eat slower.

I gave a small smile and began to eat as well.

After we finished, we changed our clothes for something more suitable to ride in and walked down the stables where the Ponyta and Rapidash were.

"Starlight!" Charlotte shouted happily as she ran for her Ponyta.

I smiled as she hugged Starlight. To say Starlight was beautiful was an understatement. The flaming horse was a unique shiny color of dark silver with light blue flames, matching her given name perfectly.

"Come on Starlight, we're gonna ride like the wind," Charlotte said excitedly as she got up onto Starlight.

"Wait for me," I said sternly as I got up onto a Rapidash named Lady.

We then made our way to an open pasture past the palace gardens where Charlotte kicked Starlight to race forward. I sighed as a small smile appeared on my face while I signaled Lady to give chase, but not quite as fast. After a few minutes, I finally had Charlotte in sight as she was waiting on a nearby hill.

"Hey Angel, come up here and see this!" she shouted.

I gestured for Lady to go up the hill and I felt my breath slip away in surprise. I was looking a tranquil scene of blooming wildflowers across the roaming hills with mountains in the background.

"Beautiful," I murmured.

Charlotte grinned, "It is really pretty, I always love riding out here with mommy and daddy. No matter what season it is, this place always looks beautiful."

"I can imagine," I agreed.

"Come on, let's keep going," she said excitedly as she nudged Starlight forward to run.

"Don't tire her out!" I shouted as I watched Charlotte race away once again.

I sighed tiredly, "She's as bad as me," I muttered to Lady who snorted in response.

"Well, we better go after her," I said as I kicked Lady gently to go forward.

After chasing Charlotte around for the next half hour, I noticed that she was looking paler and paler every time I caught up to her.

"Charlotte, are you feeling okay?" I asked worriedly as I saw her shaking.

Charlotte shook her head, "I'm fine Angel. Come on, I'll race you back!"

"Charlotte!" I shouted as I watched race back to the castle.

"Come on Lady, we have to catch her," I said quickly as I kicked Lady to run after her.

A few minutes later, Charlotte was in my sight and she was hunched forward as if she was sick. Suddenly she felt off the side of Starlight and tumbled on the ground.

"Charlotte!" I screamed as I had Lady race forward to where Charlotte fell.

I jumped down and quickly knelt over Charlotte to see that she was shaking and that her pupils were dilated.

"Angel, I don't feel good," she whimpered as she hunched over and puked to the side.

"Hang in there sweetheart," I murmured as I rubbed her back.

Suddenly I felt her convulse as she suddenly came down with a seizure. My pupils shrank as I quickly tried to help her lie down to prevent her from hurting herself.

"Thank Mew that seizures were on that med test," I said shakily as I mentally counted the seconds of how long the seizure was occurring. After twenty-five seconds, the seizure subsided and I quickly helped Charlotte lay on her side while using my aura to check for any physical injuries from both the fall and the seizure.

I spotted a slight cut on her head and some other scraps, but thankfully nothing else serious. I then concentrated on the area of pain which was Charlotte's stomach. I growled as I couldn't determine what the problem was. There were too many different possibilities as to what the problem could be. After a few minutes, Charlotte blinked and began to cry.

"Angel, it hurts," she sobbed as she gripped her stomach.

"It'll be okay sweetie," I soothed as I swept her bangs to the side feeling heat as I moved my hand.

I frowned as I felt her forehead, it was hot and suddenly Charlotte fell forward and I caught her.

"Crap," I hissed in worry as I cradled Charlotte and went over to Lady.

I then paused, trying to ride on Lady while holding Charlotte was too dangerous especially if Charlotte had another seizure. I also couldn't teleport her to a hospital, it would raise a lot of suspicion from the people trying to kill Charlotte as well as blow my cover.

I looked to the castle that was still at least a fifteen minute run away. I sighed at my only option. I quickly teleported the three of us close to the stable with no one in sight.

"Michael!" I shouted as I started to run to the castle.

Michael appeared out of the stables and looked in surprise at me carrying Charlotte, "Get the doctor!" I ordered.

"But he's in town right now," he answered.

"Then go find him, Princess Charlotte is very ill!" I shouted as I continued to run. "GO!"

Michael scrambled for the stable as I entered the castle from the side almost running into Katie.

"Amy, what's going on?" she asked as she ran to catch up to me.

"Lady Charlotte is sick, really sick," I said in between breaths. "Is his majesty here?"

"No, he left twenty minutes ago to visit some of the nobility nearby. He won't be back til before the festival," Katie said tiredly.

Crap, "Katie, I need you to bring up bowls and clean rags. Also have another set of bed sets ready," I said quickly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Don't ask, GO!" I shouted.

Katie looked at me in fear, but stopped and ran for the kitchen.

After finally reaching the nursery, Charlotte still hadn't woken up so I had to quickly change her clothes to a loose sleeveless nightgown.

I laid her on her bed just as the doctor came in as well as Katie and Lucia carrying bowls, rags, and the spare set of sheets.

"What happened?" the doctor asked as he started to check Charlotte over.

"We were out riding til I noticed that her ladyship was pale. When racing back here, I saw her hunch over and fall off Starlight," I started to explain.

I then turned to Lucia and Charlotte, "Have someone look out for Starlight, I'm not sure where she went once her ladyship fell."

"Katie, go tell Trenton," Lucia ordered.

Katie nodded and hurried out.

"After she fell, I noticed she was shaking and her eyes were big. She then puked before going into a seizure. Afterward, she was conscious of the pain in her stomach and then blacked out," I finished reporting.

"Hmm…..," the doctor hummed as he took Charlotte's temperature.

"Amy, go change your clothes while the doctor looks over her ladyship," Lucia suggested.

I looked down at my clothes to see that I was covered with dirt and grass stains, sweat, as well as a little of Charlotte's vomit.

I nodded and quickly went to my room nearby to change into one of my given governess dresses. I went back into the nursery to see the doctor closing his bag.

"I've given her highness some pain killer to bring down her fever. In the meantime, watch her closely," he instructed.

"What's your diagnosis?" I asked.

"My guess is food poisoning," he answered.

I frowned, "Is that all?" I asked.

"It's too early to tell, I'll be back in a few hours to check on her. I am confident she'll be fine once nature takes its course," he said.

"But what about the seizure?" I asked.

"Her shock of throwing up may have caused her to go into a panic bringing on the seizure," the doctor answered slightly annoyed. "Don't worry, just watch her closely as her body fights the bad food."

Shock my ass, what bs is this idiot saying? That made no sense at all. He shouldn't be doctoring people for the lazed up checkup he just gave.

After the doctor left as well as Lucia, Charlotte had another spout of throwing up as well as going into another epileptic episode that lasted longer than the first.

I was worried and frustrated at this point. I had very few options in what I could do. I couldn't argue against the doctor, it would raise suspicion from Drew as well as tipping the bad guys that their plan was discovered, whatever it was. I couldn't heal Charlotte because I no idea what was making her sick and I had no resources at my disposal to find out what was hurting Charlotte.

I gripped my hair in frustration, I needed to teleport out and grab some things to help me, but I also ran the risk of running out of power that I might need to heal Charlotte. Argh….screw it, I have to teleport otherwise I'm doing nothing.

A minute later, I had a game plan to put into action. I rang the bell that alerted the servants in the servant's quarters and soon Lucia came up.

"Can you watch her highness for a few minutes, I have to use the bathroom," I said quickly.

"Of course," Lucia nodded as she walked to Charlotte's side and started to put a wet cloth on her forehead.

I quickly went to the bathroom that was connected to the nursery and created a hovering ball of aura while making my own invisible to make sure Drew didn't get suspicious if he scanned for my aura.

I then teleported to the Petalburg Pokemon Center. I found it quiet giving me a chance to sneak inside and snag Skitty's pokeball before teleporting to a public payphone nearby.

I punched in a number to hear, "_Wally's Wacky Pizzeria, how can I help you_?" an automated woman's voice said.

"The quick brown Eevee jumped over the lazy Growlithe," I said calmly.

"_One moment please_," the automated voice said before I heard more dialing.

"_What does one bug type say to the other_?" a guys' voice asked as the dialing stopped.

"What's the buzz," I said quickly.

I heard laughing on the other end, "_It's so punny_," he laughed.

I took a deep breath trying to control my annoyance, "As much as I would love to chat, I need you a portable lab-in-a-brief case stat."

"_And a hello to you too_," he sniffed. "_What' the rush_?"

"I don't have time to explain, it's a matter of life and death," I explained quickly.

"_Alright, but it'll cost you_," he warned.

"If you give it now, I'll give triple the honeybuns," I huffed annoyed.

"_Done_," he said before hanging up.

I hung up the phone as well before teleporting to the shop where I always get the honeybuns and quickly teleported to the tree.

I put the buns on the ground and they soon disappeared to be replaced with the small brief case. I grabbed it and teleported to the Petalburg Pokemon Center where I decided to snitch some Benzodiazepines in case of Charlotte's seizures getting worse.

I then teleported back to the castle feeling ready to pass out. I reabsorbed the ball of aura and hid the brief case til Lucia left.

I walked out to see Lucia still sitting by Charlotte's side, "I can take over," I said tiredly.

Lucia looked at me and frowned, "Are you sure you can handle it, you look pale."

I gave a smile, "I'm fine, no need to worry. Actually, could you bring up some ginger and blueberry tea?"

Lucia gave me a weird look, "Why?"

"The ginger tea will help Charlotte's fever," I explained.

"So why do you need blueberry?" she asked.

"For me, I'd like some tea now and I'm not a fan of ginger tea," I lied.

Lucia still gave me a weird look but said nothing as she left. After she left, I gripped the side of the bed to steady myself. I knew I would be tired, but I didn't think I would be this tired from teleporting.

I sat by Charlotte as I checked her forehead, pulse, and eyes. She still had a fever, her pulse was faster than normal, and her eyes were still dilated. This was looking more to being more toward poisoning than just food poisoning.

A minute later, Katie brought up a tea tray, "Here you go milady," she said teasingly.

I gave her a tired smile, "Thank you Katie."

She then frowned as she walked over to me and looked at Charlotte, "Are you okay, you look as pale as she is."

"I'm fine, just worried," I said as Katie looked at the small table where Charlotte and I had lunch almost an hour ago.

"Good grief, Ella hasn't taken the tray done yet," Katie muttered as she walked over to take it.

"Wait!" I called on impulse to stop her.

She stopped and looked at me, "Why?"

"Uh"….think May! "Because Ella should come up here and get it. It was her task after all, you shouldn't be covering all her slip ups," I said quickly.

I could see the cogs turning in Katie's head, "You know what, you're right. I'll send her up to get it," she agreed.

Once she left, I let out the air I was holding. Thank Mew she fell for that.

I quickly opened the brief case in the bathroom that expanded a little to be the tiny lab I needed it to be. I quickly grabbed a few petri dishes and took samples of the food from lunch. I set them down on the bathroom counter when the door opened.

I left the bathroom to see a peeved Ella cleaning up the lunch trays.

"Stupid Katie, she was up here, she could have just taken the dumb tray instead of having me come up all those stairs and get it," she muttered.

"It is your job to clean up our lunch," I pointed out as I continued to dab Charlotte's forehead with a damp cloth.

"Well I was busy," she snapped.

"Oh really? With what?" I asked flatly.

Ella got a dreamy look on her face, "I was talking with Dan until he and some other footmen had to go into town."

I rolled my eyes before I felt Charlotte begin to spaz.

"Oh no," I murmured as I began counting the seconds of duration while Ella screamed and ran from the room.

"Oh great," I muttered as I quickly gave Charlotte a dose of Benzodiazepine.

After checking to make sure Charlotte was relaxed, I took the tray and placed it outside the door to prevent anymore interruptions.

I then went into the bathroom and began running tests on food from mine and Charlotte's lunch.

The test showed that the food on my plate was not tampered with, but Charlotte's was laced with some sort of drug.

I ran some more tests to discover that the drug in Charlotte's food was Cicuta, a poison found in water hemlock. My eyes widened at the results. This was bad, really bad.

I quickly started digging up everything I could find on Cicuta from the small computer that came with the small lab. I read that activated charcoal was used to help rid the drug from the system, but they were possible side effects.

Even so, where the hell could I find it? I face palmed at my stupidity. The Cerulean Pokemon Center should have some since water hemlock grows around that area. I took a deep breath as I went to check on Charlotte and read her aura. She was stable enough for now, but I had to give that charcoal and fast.

I teleported to the Pokemon Center to see no one around. After finding the medicine room, I snuck in and found what I needed and teleported back to the castle. After giving Charlotte the charcoal, I kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn't suffer any side effects as I was drinking the blueberry tea to regain my energy. Whoever was behind this is stopping at nothing in getting rid of Charlotte.

* * *

**_October 26th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

I looked out the window of the nursery to see Charlotte riding away from the castle on Starlight with her parents riding after her.

It's been five days since Charlotte was poisoned. Everyone thought she had a bad stomach virus along with a bad migraine and I made sure that was what everyone thought. Thankfully the charcoal had no serious side effects as it cured Charlotte's poisoning and she grew stronger every day thanks to that as well as the herbal remedies that I was able to secretly create.

When their majesties returned from their trips two days ago, they were extremely worried at Charlotte's condition. I explained to them that it was nothing serious and they eventually calmed down. They visited Charlotte constantly helping boost Charlotte's morale as well as giving me a break to rest. Since all the teleporting I did, I have been unable to use the slightest bit of my power making me slightly frustrated. It should not be taking this long for me to regenerate a good amount of power.

I frowned as I rubbed the bandage on my forearm to help the swelling in my wrist. Since their majesties return, some "accidents" have been happening to me. Things almost falling on me, darts trying to hit me, and yesterday I was pushed from behind to fall down the stairs. Thankfully Dan was there when it happened and helped catch me after two tumbles down. All I got out of that was a sprained wrist.

As if that wasn't a problem, it was getting harder to keep Dan from finding out. He didn't necessarily make the connection that I was Amy, but he was suspicious of Charlotte being ill and all of those "accidents" happening to me. The worst was the dart that was shot at me this morning. When I pulled it from the wall it stuck to, Dan appeared around the corner and almost saw it.

On top of that, I was finding out more of the villains behind the attempts on Charlotte's life. So far, I can count that there are three because so far I have detected three different auras when they tried to kill me. As to who they were, I had no idea. I tried researching everything I could on the knights during the breaks that I was given, but so far no luck.

I turned away from the window and grabbed the book I got from the library yesterday in researching the knights. I better put this back and keep looking.

I walked to the library and began searching the area of shelves I looked at yesterday. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a pokemon escaping their pokeball.

I turned and gasped to see that Skitty let herself out.

"Nya," she meowed as she started scampering through the library.

"Skitty get back here!" I hissed as I ran after her.

She then jumped up and knocked a statue over that opened up a bookshelf like a door.

I gasped because this room wasn't mentioned in that book I read earlier about the castle.

Skitty then scampered inside and I ran after her, "Skitty, please stop," I begged.

Skitty then jumped onto a table containing rocks. Suddenly, she started glowing causing me to gasp again.

What she jumped on was a table displaying evolution stones and she touched a Moon Stone.

The light then faded to reveal Delcatty, "Of course you come across a Moon Stone," I said with a sigh before smiling. "But I'm still happy you evolved."

Delcatty purred and rubbed her head against me causing me to hug her, "Remind me to buy a replacement," I murmured as I looked around the darkly lit room. "Alright Delcatty, let's see what you're scampering around has led me to."

"Mew," she agreed as she looked around the room.

The room in a nutshell was a small, darkly lit library. I quickly started to browse the shelves and suddenly came across a lineage book.

"I wonder if this has the answers I need," I said to Delcatty as I sat on an overstuffed chair.

Delcatty walked over and sat at my feet. I quickly started looking through the book, but it only showed the lineage of the royal family and upper class members of the kingdom.

"Come on," I groaned in frustration. "There has to be something."

Suddenly Delcatty started to create a small ball in front of her mouth causing me to gasp for the umpteenth time, "Is that…..Water Pulse?!"

She then let it go and I quickly teleported the attack out the room so that it went outside. I then fell over from the use of power as it was everything I had.

"Mreow!" Delcatty cried as she rushed over to me and gently nudged me with her head.

"I'll be fine Delcatty. Just don't use any attacks in here," I said tiredly as I tried to push myself up.

After being able to climb into the overstuffed chair, I heaved tiredly as I tried to regain some energy.

"Mreow," Delcatty mewed sadly as she started to use Heal Bell.

I gave her a tired grin at her effect in trying to help me. After five minutes, I noticed she was starting to tire out.

"Enough Delcatty," I said gently as I pet her head to stop her. "I feel a lot better. Thank you."

Delcatty beamed at me as I picked up the book from before to see that a few drops of water were on it, "Wait a minute," I murmured as I picked up the book.

Seeing the water drops on the page reminded me that what I could be looking for was hidden. All I needed was a small flame.

I quickly looked for a candle and lit it. I then started to bring the pages to the light and before I knew it, the symbol of the knights appeared on four family names. I quickly traced the family tree to the current members and gasped at what I found.

"Mrs. Wemble is a descendent of the knights?!" I whispered in shock.

I looked at the other names of the families, two were unfamiliar and I saddened when I looked at the last name. It was Katie's love, Lewis.

"Girls, quit your gossiping and get to work. There is still a ton of work to be done!" I heard Mrs. Wemble shout.

My eyes shrank as I heard footsteps come closer to the room, "Delcatty return," I whispered as I returned her as well as put the book away.

I then hid in the shadows as I heard the door open. Mrs. Wemble then appeared and walked to a shelf near the table with the evolution stones. I heard her open a drawer on the table and go through it before shutting it. I then heard her "hmph" in annoyance and suspicion before leaving.

Crap, she must have noticed the missing Moon Stone. I really need to replace that.

I got out from my hiding spot and continued to search the room. As I was looking in the drawers of a nearby desk, I accidentally knocked off a small vase that rolled under the desk.

"Great, I'm getting clumsier," I muttered as I knelt down to grab the vase.

The vase had rolled against the wall and when I grabbed it, it pushed a small panel in the wall.

"More hidden rooms, seriously?" I said annoyed as I heard something open.

I then searched the room to find what the small panel opened. After a few minutes, I noticed a small cubby hidden on the other side of the room behind a huge, fake plant. I looked inside to see an ancient book covered in dust. I carefully picked it up causing the door to the cubby to shut. I looked at the book closely to see that it was way older than the books I've look at, it's as almost if this book was the same age as the castle itself.

I looked inside to find that it was contained the plans of the castle.

"Maybe this is the original blueprints for the castle," I murmured.

I then heard voices again causing me to pause; I need to get out of here. Against my better judgement, I grabbed the two books and teleported myself to a hidden corner of the library as Mrs. Wemble and someone else walked into the hidden room. When the door of the secret room shut, I quickly made my way back to the nursery.

Now that I knew who was involved, it would be easier to keep an eye on them when the ball would happen tomorrow night. In the meantime, I have to come up with a plan to cover all bases. But before I do any of that, I have to get Drew out of here.


	20. An Unplanned Reunion

**_October 26th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(Drew's POV)

I was coming back from town when I saw a flash of teal hair. When I squinted to get a better look, I gasped when I saw that it was Clair. Suddenly, I was in her office with Lance present as well as the gang.

"Who's that?" Gary asked.

I growled, "What the hell, why did you pull me out like that?" I demanded.

Clair frowned, "We've given you more than enough time to search for May. Right now, we have a situation in where you're needed.

"Wait…..Drew?!" Dawn gasped.

I sighed and was suddenly attacked with a hug, "Glad you're back enough though you're not," she said cheerfully.

I gave a small smile as the rest of the gang hugged me/did fist bumps.

"Did you find her?" Leaf asked.

I sighed and shook my head, "She really immersed herself into where she was. I guess she made it clear she didn't want to be found."

Everyone sighed and frowned slightly, but said nothing.

"Where were you Drew?" Ash asked.

"The Galin Kingdom Castle," I answered.

"Why were you there?" Misty asked.

"When May came to heal you girls a few weeks ago, I kissed her in trying to get her to come back. When I was kissing her, some images came into my head of the castle and of Princess Charlotte," I explained.

"Did you find anything while there?" Clair asked.

I shook my head, "Nothing out of the ordinary happened, it was weird," I said quietly.

"You think something was going on?" Clair asked further.

"The Princess was really sick for a few days and the governess had a few mishaps, but I don't know. I more or less focused on trying to find May," I said frustrated.

I then felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Dawn.

"She'll come back when's she's ready, no need to worry," she said gently with a small smile.

I sighed and nodded but said nothing.

"So you've gathered all of us here, what's this situation you mentioned?" Paul asked gruffly.

Clair frowned, "An hour ago, we got an anonymous call that said that security was needed for a ball at the Galin Castle tomorrow night."

"Are you serious? That was the situation, security for a ball," Leaf said in disbelief.

"I normally would just send a few other agents, but what got me about this call was that they used the words 'dirty tricks'" she explained.

"Which means….?" Dawn asked.

Clair sighed, "It means sabotage ranging from pranks to assassinations."

"Could they just have been using the words without knowing what they meant?" Leaf asked.

Clair shook her head, "I don't think so," she said as she pressed a button and the message began to play.

"_PHPA, what is the emergency_?"

"_I think security is needed at the Galin Palace Ball, you never know if people are there for the royal party or for the dirty tricks_."

"_Excuse me, can you please repeat that_?"

A dial tone was heard and Clair stopped the recording.

"Well, whoever the anonymous person was didn't want to be found. They used a voice scrambler," Gary commented.

"We've tried to decode it, but we've had no luck," Lance said annoyed.

"Could May have called?" Dawn asked.

Clair sighed, "I don't know, code words haven't really been used in twenty-five years."

"So since you don't know, you want us to be security for this ball," Paul clarified.

Clair nodded, "I don't know if this call is legit or not, but I don't like how they used a voice scrambler to give the message as well as using old code words. It's better to be safe than sorry. While there, you are to observe and figure out if anything funny is going done. I've informed their majesties saying that you are Lance's guests and needed a place to stay for the festival. They await your arrival."

"Wait a minute, what about our clothes for tomorrow?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

Clair smiled, "Not to worry Dawn, Paris is helping us with that and you'll receive your evening wear tomorrow afternoon."

Dawn nodded in approval, "If that's all, you will be leaving for the castle in a little while. Drew, you might want to change your hair color back to normal before you go," Clair added.

I nodded as we were suddenly teleported back to the house. Without a word, I went upstairs to take a shower and change my hair back to normal. Hopefully with this mission, May would make herself present.

(Dawn's POV)

I watched Drew go upstairs and heard Leaf sigh, "Too bad he couldn't find May."

"Maybe we'll find her while we're at the castle," I said optimistically.

"What makes you think we can find her? Drew's the one that can read people's auras. If anything, he's the best shot at finding her," Paul pointed out.

"You are not going to shoot me down yet," I said as I stuck my tongue out at him. "You never know, May might slip up."

"Dawn, really. You are the one that said we should let her be," Misty added.

"I did say that, but that doesn't mean we can't identify her. All we want to know is where she is. If what she's doing is reasonable enough for her up and leaving, then we give her space. If not, we'll drag her ass back when this is over," I said determined with a nod.

"She's been pulling this stunt for almost a month. What makes you think she'll slip up Pinky?" Gary asked.

"I don't, but she'll be on her guard knowing we'll be there," I pointed out.

"But what if she was the one that made the call? She'll know we're coming and act in a way that's not suspicious," Ash added.

I pulled a Paul glare, "Quick shooting my idea down you morons!"

"You need to work on your insults," Paul commented.

"But I think she's got your scowl down pat. It's creepy," Ash shuddered.

"You might want to stop talking," Paul scowled.

Ash then hid behind Misty, "Double creepy."

Leaf sighed, "Enough, we should be packing and getting gadgets."

Everyone nodded and split up to grab stuff. While upstairs, I changed into a dark pink, short sleeve, knee length dress with a square neck and a layered skirt. I added black lace flats and put my hair up in a half up half down style by fashioning a bow in the back made out of my hair.

I strapped on a garter and stashed a few throwing knives before grabbing my pokeballs along with my bag and went downstairs to command central.

I went to my cubby and grabbed a few gadgets of the contact lenses, earbud communicator, laser lipstick, and a clunky bracelet.

"What's this?" I asked as I picked it up.

"_The multifunctional charm bracelet. It has many functions that can help you get out of any situation_," a computer voice explained.

"Cool," I murmured as I clipped it on.

I then heard everyone else come in, "You guys cannot be serious?" I said as I looked at what they were wearing.

"Troublesome, it's fine," Paul muttered.

"No it's not, we are going to be in the presence of a king and denim and shorts are not acceptable," I snapped as I walked to the computer and imputed a command to have everyone's clothes be altered by their compowders/wallets.

"Dawn, this is way too dressed up," Misty snapped.

I glared, "Zip it, I let you get away with pants instead of a dress or skirt so chill."

She glared back, but didn't say anything. After we gathered our gadgets, the jet arrived from PHPA and we flew to the outskirts of the town. When we arrived, cars were there waiting for us to drive us to the castle.

"Wow, this place really is festive," I commented as we drove through the town.

"_It the kingdom's 500__th__ anniversary tomorrow, that's why it's really busy_," Drew explained through the earbud communicator.

I nodded as the girls and I continued to watch out the window. We then arrived at the castle to find an old women waiting outside.

"Welcome to Galin Castle," she said stiffly with politeness. "I'm Mrs. Wemble, the housekeeper. The maids and footmen can take your bags to your rooms. Please follow me."

We looked at each other, but followed the women into the castle. We went past the foyer to the end of the hall and stopped.

"Please wait here," she said as she entered the room.

"Wow, this place is huge," Ash said in awe.

"Hey Drew, what did you do for the past two weeks?" Leaf asked.

"I worked here as a gardener and then a footman," he explained.

"Wow, that must have been an interesting experience for you since you're used to being served not serving," Gary commented as he looked around.

Drew nodded and frowned slightly, "Beware of the housekeeper, she's pretty harsh."

We gave him a weird look as Mrs. Wemble came back, "Their majesties will see you now."

We nodded and entered the room to find an older man, I'm assuming the king, sitting on his throne with a man and woman standing next to him holding a baby.

"Welcome to Galin Castle," the lady with the baby said as I did a small curtesy.

"Thanks for the welcome," I said politely.

The king motioned for me to rise, "Are you by chance Princess Salvia?"

I blushed slightly as I rose and shook my head, "No your majesty. You could say that I'm a doppelganger of Princess Salvia."

"Ah, from your looks and mannerisms, you could easy pass for her," the king complimented.

I gave a small smile and nodded, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Prince Stephen, my wife Adeline," he gestured. "And our son Nicholas."

"I'm Dawn Berlitz from Twinleaf Town," I introduced with a small curtesy.

"I'm Leaf Green from Pallet Town," Leaf said as she mimicked my small curtesy.

"I'm Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City," Misty said as she did a slight bow.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash said politely with a small bow.

"Gary Oak from Pallet Town," Gary said briefly with a slight bow.

"Paul Shinji, Veilstone City," Paul said gruffly though politely.

"Drew Hayden from LaRousse City," Drew said politely with a slight bow.

"It's a pleasure to welcome you to our home. We hope you enjoy your time here for the festivities," the king said.

Suddenly the door opened behind us to see a little girl with light brown hair and blue eyes followed by a girl our age with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Is now a bad time your majesties?" the girl asked.

"Not at all, please come in," the king said with a small smile as the little girl ran up to him and hugged him. "Sweetheart, will you please introduce yourself to our guests."

"Oh, my apologies," the little girl said as she curtsied. "I'm Princess Charlotte."

The little girl then looked behind us, "Angel, please come up and introduce yourself."

I raised an eyebrow, "Angel?" Leaf asked confused.

The girl walked up, "I apologize, her ladyship likes to call me that. I'm her governess Amelia Plenble. Welcome to Galin Castle," she said politely with a small bow.

"Can you tell me your names?" Charlotte asked cheerfully as she walked up to me.

"My name is Dawn, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said as I smiled.

"It's nice to meet you," Charlotte beamed. "Are you a trainer or coordinator?"

"I'm a Top Coordinator," I said causing Charlotte to look at me with wide eyes.

"Really?! Which region did you win?" she asked excitedly.

"Sinnoh and Johto," I answered.

"That's really cool," she said in awe as she walked to Leaf.

"I'm Leaf, it's nice to meet you," Leaf said with a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, your name's really cool," Charlotte smiled. "Are you a trainer or coordinator?"

"I'm a trainer though I might be a researcher later on," Leaf answered.

"Cool, which leagues did you compete in?" Charlotte asked.

"Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn."

"Whoa, did you win all of them?" Charlotte asked in awe.

Leaf nodded, "Wow, you're a really strong trainer," Charlotte complimented as she walked up to Misty.

"I'm Misty, it's nice to meet you Lottie," Misty said politely.

Charlotte's eyes widened again, "Whoa, how did you know that I liked to be called that?"

Misty winked, "It was a lucky guess."

Charlotte grinned, "Are you a trainer or a coordinator?"

"Actually, I'm one of the Cerulean Gym leaders," Misty answered.

"Cool! Do you perform in their water shows?"

Misty shuttered slightly, "Sometimes, but not often. I'm not really a fan of doing them."

Charlotte nodded in understanding, "I can understand that. Sounds like me and dancing, I don't like it either," she said as she scrunched up her nose.

She then walked over to Ash, "I'm Ash and this is Pikachu," Ash introduced with a goofy grin.

"Cool," Charlotte grinned as Ash knelt down so Charlotte could pet Pikachu.

"Cha," Pikachu cooed as his head got scratched.

"So are you a trainer or coordinator?" she asked.

"I'm a trainer and I hope to be a Pokemon Master," Ash said enthusiastically.

"Wow, that's a pretty tall tree to climb," Charlotte said metaphorically causing us to slightly giggly or snicker.

"Even so, best of luck becoming one," she said cheerfully.

She then walked over to Gary, "I'm Gary, pleasure to meet you," he said as he kissed her hand.

"Are you a trainer or a coordinator?" she asked.

"I'm actually a pokemon researcher," he answered.

"Cool, what's your field of study?"

I was surprised by her question, she certainly is a smart cookie.

"Legendary and Fossil pokemon."

"That's cool, good luck with your research," she chirped as she walked to Paul and frowned slightly.

"Something tells me you're not much of a people person are you?" she asked.

We looked at her in surprise and amusement, "What makes you think that?" Paul asked.

"That's easy, you have the stance and aura of an Ursaring," she said with a grin.

Gary and Ash tried to hardest not to burst out laughing while the rest of us chuckled.

Adeline looked embarrassed, "Charlotte, it isn't nice to judge people you don't know."

Charlotte sighed and curtsied, "My apologies. Anyway, what's your name?"

"Paul."

"Are you a trainer?"

Paul nodded.

"Have you won any leagues?"

"No, but I've always placed in the Top 4 or Top 2."

"That's cool, you're pretty strong," she said as she walked up to Drew.

"I'm Drew, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said as he gave her a yellow rose.

Charlotte grinned and then looked sad as she fingered the rose.

"I apologize, one of the footman used to give her highness roses has left suddenly and Charlotte is sadden by his departure," Amelia explained.

"Are you sad that they left?" Drew asked as he knelt down.

Charlotte sniffed, "Yea, he was really funny and nice. He would give roses to me and Angel when he would see us in the nursery. I'm just saddened that he left without saying goodbye."

"I think he's sorry to, but I wouldn't worry. I think he's still here," Drew said with a smirk.

Charlotte looked at him suspicious, "What makes you say that?"

Drew took something out of his pocket, "I believe this is yours," he said as he gave it to her.

"My hanky, where did you…?" she said before her eyes lit up and she smiled. "Dan?"

Drew nodded causing him to almost fall backwards as he was hugged by Charlotte.

"So I'm confused," she said with a puzzled look as she took a few steps back. "Not trying to sound rude, but who are you?"

Drew gave a small smile and nodded, "It's alright, my real name is Drew. Dan was a cover I was using to try and find someone in the castle.

Charlotte looked intrigued, "Who were you looking for? Did you find them?" she asked.

"That's none of our business your highness," Amelia reprimanded gently. "If he wants to tell you, he can do it later."

"Besides Sweetie, I'm sure that our guests would like to rest," Adeline said as Nicholas started to whimper. "Oh dear."

"I can take him your majesty since Lindsey has the day off," Amelia volunteered.

"Oh could you? Thank you," Adeline said gratefully as Amelia took Nicholas from her.

The door from behind us then opened up and a maid came in, "Your ladyship, the planners need your help with some last minute details."

Adeline sighed, "Alright, tell them I'll be there shortly. Thank you Lucia."

Lucia bowed and left, "Amelia, if you don't mind, could you show our guests their rooms?"

"It's no problem your majesty," Amelia assured. "What rooms?"

"The ones on the east wing facing the garden," Adeline said as Stephan offered her his arm. "Again thank you."

Amelia gave a small bow as their majesties left, "Lottie, would you like to take the lead?" Amelia offered.

Charlotte smiled and nodded, "If you will follow me," she said politely.

We then followed her and Amelia for the staircase we passed on our way in.

"You seem to be really young for a governess," Ash commented.

"Ash!" the girls and I hissed as Drew and Gary had a "seriously Ash" look on their face.

Amelia smiled, "I am. I only became her ladyships' governess a few weeks ago."

"And she's the best governess ever!" Charlotte said happily before making a face. "She's not like mean 'ole Ms. Garrett."

"Charlotte, you shouldn't be talking bad of people," Amelia reprimanded.

"I don't care. She was mean to you when you were working as a maid and she was awful to me," Charlotte pouted.

"You were a maid before becoming a governess? Wow, you seem to rise up the ladder for positions pretty quickly," I commented.

Amelia shook her head, "I don't try to, it's just how things happen," she said as Charlotte stopped in front of a door.

"This room is for you ladies," she gestured before pointing to the door next to it. "You gentlemen are staying in that one."

"Thank you very much Lottie," I said with a smile.

"If you need anything, just ring the bells in your rooms," Amelia explained. "Come along Charlotte, it's time for bed."

Charlotte pouted, "It's too early," she protested.

Amelia gave a small smile, "It's almost 8:00," she said. "Besides, you are still recovering from being sick."

"I know, but I haven't thrown up or have had any seizures," Charlotte argued causing the gang and I to look at Drew who looked surprised as well.

Amelia frowned, "Young lady, you still need rest even if you haven't been sick as of late. You need to save your energy for tomorrow night," she said sternly.

Charlotte opened her mouth, "I don't want to hear another word," Amelia said gently though sternly before Charlotte could talk.

Charlotte frowned, but said nothing, "We'll leave you be," Amelia said politely as she and Charlotte left.

"We should come up with a game plan," Misty said once they were out of range.

"Let's talk in here," I said as I opened the door for the girl's room.

I stepped in and gasped, "Wow!"

Leaf whistled, "No kidding, they really know how to decorate," she commented as Drew shut the door.

"Okay Drew, you said that Charlotte was sick. Didn't you know that she was having seizures?" Gary asked.

Drew shook his head, "I didn't know. Amelia didn't say anything when I was here. Actually, I don't think a lot of people knew."

"I wonder why she kept it a secret?" Ash wondered.

"Probably to make sure it didn't affect the festivities," Misty guessed.

"Anyways, we should explore the castle and see what we can dig up on the anonymous phone call before we call it a day," Leaf said causing the rest of us to nod our heads in agreement.

**_October 27th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

After getting Charlotte up and ready for the day, I left her with her parents as she would be greeting people for the rest of the day and Adeline wanted to give me part of the day off.

I had finished getting everything I needed for tonight arranged and I was currently in the library looking at the book containing a map of the castle memorizing it for later.

I heard the door open and I saw the gang come in, "Morning Amelia!" Dawn said cheerfully.

I smiled, "Morning," I said as I closed my book.

"Whatcha readin'?" Ash asked curiously.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Nothing special," I said as I walked over to the bookshelf to put the book away. "Enjoying the castle?"

"Yea, this place has a lot of history," Leaf said as she looked around the library.

"Not to mention the décor," Dawn added.

I smiled as I climbed up the nearby ladder to put my book in its place, "The palace has been remodeled and decorated several times over to accommodate modern features while keeping its original style. The most recent décor was done by Pierre Russo."

I turned to see that everyone was looking at me, "No offense, but how do you know that? You haven't been working here long," Misty said as I came down the ladder.

"True," I agreed with a nod, "but I have had time to read and it pays off to know about where you are."

I then walked to the buzzer on a table nearby before talking a seat in the arm chair I sat in before, "Tell me, why brings you to the castle? You don't seem like the kind of people to come here for a festival."

Everyone took seats in the nearby couches and chairs, "We didn't know about it til the last minute and since most of the inns in the area are full. Lance was nice enough in asking their majesties to let us stay here," Misty lied.

I inwardly laughed at the comment about Lance and nodded, "I see. Well, I certainly hope you enjoy festival. If you have time, you must go to the village. Multiple events are going on before the ball this evening," I explained as the door opened up to Lucia carrying in a tea tray.

"Thank you Lucia," I said as she set the tray down next to me.

"Is there anything else you need milady?" she asked.

I shook my head, "You may go."

Lucia nodded and left, "It's so weird. At first she was my supervisor and now I'm in a position ranked higher than her," I admitted as I poured myself some tea. "Anyone else want some?"

The girls nodded while the boys shook their heads though Ash dove right in into the biscuits.

"You said you've only worked here a few weeks, where were you before?" Dawn asked curiously as I handed her a cup of tea.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I was wandering around and decided to settle someplace and work," I lied.

"But you could picked anywhere, why choose working at the castle?" she asked.

I inwardly frowned, "I've always been curious in what the castle looked like on the inside so I decided to work here since they needed extra help in getting ready for the festival."

Dawn nodded but I could tell she wasn't done so I decided to talk before she could.

"Why are you asking all these questions?" I asked.

Dawn gave a smirk, "I'm nosy and besides, you interest me. Tell me, what's the story with your pend…."

Crap, "_If you say anything more, I will make sure you regret it_," I threatened harshly causing Dawn to smile at me.

"_Gotcha_," she said proudly.

"My pen? I'm sorry, but I don't what you're talking about?" I asked confused.

"_Now tell us what's going on_," she demanded. "The one that you were using earlier this morning."

"_No, if I say anything, it'll blow my cover_," I snapped.

"It's one her highness's pens that she let me borrow," I said still confused.

"_Too bad, tell me why you're here_," she again demanded.

I sighed as I sent her a comparison memory of me and Charlotte causing her to flinch slightly, "_Not here, the walls have eyes and ears. Meet me in the forest past the castle in thirty minutes_."

"Okay, I was just curious," Dawn said as I looked at the time.

"If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," I said politely as I left.

I then went up to the nursery so I could meditate for a short period while also locating Charlotte's aura to make sure that she was safe.

Before I knew it, I had fifteen minutes til I had to meet Dawn and probably everyone else.

I changed my outfit to jeans and a tank top while also putting on a black wig. I couldn't have my cover blown by meeting with them.

I then put on a cloak and raised the hood to cover my head. I grabbed Delcatty's pokeball, a small cube, a few Oran berries, and took a deep breath before teleporting a short distance from where to meet with everyone. I grabbed a branch to steady myself as I felt weak from the teleporting. I then ate the Oran berries to help regain my energy and waited.

A minute later, I could sense their auras nearby and made my way toward them.

"Seriously Dawn, why did you drag us here?" Misty demanded.

"Because she wanted to talk to me," I said as I pulled from the shadows causing everyone to look at me suspiciously as I threw the cube up in the air to create a shield to prevent anyone from spying on us.

"Why are you being elusive? What is going on May?" Dawn demanded causing everyone to do a double take.

"Because one can never be too careful," I said as I put down the hood and took my contacts to show my blue eyes as proof before putting them back in.

Dawn then attacked me with a hug, "I'm glad you're okay, but I'm still mad at you," she said sternly.

I gave a small smile as I hugged her back, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

She then took a few steps back and I saw that everyone else looked angry causing me to sigh.

"Spill. Now." Misty said sternly.

I shook my head and smiled ,"Not yet, it's best that you stay in the dark right now."

"To hell with that! You left us for a month without saying a word!" Leaf said angrily.

"But I kept tabs, I did come back to save you guys didn't I?" I point out.

Leaf shook her head, "That doesn't count. May, we're your friends. You said that you wouldn't leave us in the dark anymore."

"This situation is different," I said evenly causing Misty's face to get red.

"You're still running around and doing all of this on your own. How that hell is that different?" she demanded.

"Because this isn't about me!" I shouted back angrily. "This has nothing to do with me, it has to do with someone else. And there is no way in hell I will jeopardize their safety. Not after everything they've gone through."

"Why not have PHPA handle it if it's that big of a problem," Ash asked.

I sighed angrily, "Because the people I'm helping requested for help multiple times from PHPA nine months ago and they never received it," I said evenly.

That stopped them from talking, "Listen, all you need to know is that there is something going on. And all I ask is that you act normal and wait to jump in when your help is needed," I explained.

"No May, that's not enough of an explanation," Drew said angrily.

"I'm sorry Drew, but that's all you're getting out of me," I said as I slipped my hood up and turned around.

Suddenly I felt a hand grab my upper arm and turned me around before kissing me angrily.

I then stepped away, "Drew, I know you're hurt and I'm sorry, but I can't say anything."

"Can't or won't?" he challenged.

I glared at him, "I'm not saying anything for the safety of the person I'm protecting because if you know, everything will blow up in my face and there will be blood on my hands."

"Explain," Drew said as he took a step closer.

I laughed, "Sorry babe, but you're not getting anything else out of me. Besides, I'm already a target as well. Do you really think I'm clumsy enough to fall down a flight of stairs or get slashed. The people behind this are on to me and I'm sure as hell not letting you guys becoming a target for them.

"Again with protecting us. May, we are capable of taking care of ourselves," Drew snapped.

I shook my head as tears began to gather, "That's not a risk I'm willing to take," I said quietly. "Especially what happened a few weeks ago."

The girls frowned and looked down as the guys placed an arm around them.

"I'm sorry that I left you the way I did. It tore my heart in two every time that I did. I asked you to trust me Drew and I understand why you tried to find me for the past few weeks. But it made my job all that much harder because I had to hide from the people behind what's going on and from you.

I gave a small laugh in remembering meeting Drew as Dan a few weeks ago, "A note of reference Drew, making your aura invisible isn't the same as disguising it."

I then took a step forward and kissed him before calling out Delcatty to use Blizzard as a cover for me to leave.

As I was running, I took my pendant to change it from being disguised to it being invisible. I then teleported myself and Delcatty back to my room in the castle and collapsed on the bed to regain my strength.

"Mreow," Delcatty said concerned as she leapt up onto the bed and sat next to me.

I pet her head, "I'm fine, just really drained of energy," I said tiredly as I wiped my eyes with my free hand.

I then sat up and looked at the time, "Guess I better get things ready for my performance."


	21. It's Showtime!

**_October 27th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(Dawn's POV)

We watched as May ran off and ordered Delcatty to use Blizzard to cover her escape.

"Well…that could've gone better," Ash said as Blizzard faded away.

Misty groaned and rubbed her temples, "That girl, all we wanted was information and instead she just gives us riddles. I _hate_ when she does that."

"But it's still information," I pointed out.

Gary sighed, "Let's see, she admitted that something was going on."

"And she said that she's protecting someone," Leaf added.

"She then said that if she told us, everything would blow up in her face," Ash said.

"And blood would be on her hands," I said quietly.

There was silence, "Guess this means that someone is trying to kill someone, what else could it be?" Ash said breaking the silence.

I sighed and hugged myself, "It can't be anything else otherwise May wouldn't be this serious of not saying anything. She's being very paranoid about being overheard or seen."

"But who is she protecting?" Gary wondered.

"Charlotte," I said as I remembered the memory May sent me telepathically of her when she was younger that matched a memory of Charlotte. Both crying and pleading for help.

Everyone looked at me, "How do you know that?" Misty asked.

I sighed, "When May was talking to me telepathically earlier, she sent me a comparison memory of her and Charlotte."

Everyone looked at me confused, "What do you mean a comparison memory?" Paul asked.

"Two memories of little girls begging for help. One was Charlotte," I said before looking at Drew. "The other was May."

Ash looked confused, "How does this help?"

"I don't know, but I do know that Charlotte is the person that someone is trying to kill and I think May has made it her number one priority to make sure she protects her," I explained. "Right now, we need to trust May's judgement. She knows what's going on. If she wants to help her when the moment is right, we will wait."

Misty sighed, "Alright, but once this is over. She owes us answers."

"I have a feeling she'll tell us everything when this is over Mist," Ash said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Misty nodded but said nothing. I then turned to see Drew looking angry yet sad.

I walked toward him and placed a hand on his arm, "Are you okay?"

He gently shook off my arm, "I just need some space. I'll see you later," he said as he walked off.

I sighed as I felt Paul walk up next to me and pull me into a side hug, "He'll be fine, he just needs time to himself," Paul said.

I nodded as we walked back to the castle, "We better get ready, people will be arriving soon," Leaf said while looking at her poketch.

I nodded as we arrived back at our rooms. When the girls and I entered, we found dress bags on our beds.

"Gotta love Paris for designing these dresses," I said pleased as I unzipped my bag and inspected my dress.

Pink, strapless with some rhinestones outlining the top, and a floor length, mermaid trumpet layered skirt. Yup, I approve.

"I agree and that's saying something," Misty admitted.

I looked over to see her dress. Aqua blue, sleeveless v-neck with some beading on top, and a floor length mermaid trumpet skirt.

"Wow, when you wear this it'll look like you're wearing water," I said in awe as I picked up a little of the skirt.

"What's your dress look like?" Misty asked Leaf.

"Dark purple, halter top with some rhinestones and the same skirt style as you," she said as she showed us the dress.

An hour and a half later, we were dressed and I was arguing with Misty on how to do her hair.

"Seriously Misty, we should do something different with it. You always wear it down," I complained as I brushed her hair.

"Well, I always have it up in a side ponytail for everything else which is why I wear it down when having to dress up," Misty argued. "Besides, my hair is wavy when it's down so that counts."

"No it does not," I snapped. "Leaf, what's your opinion?"

"No comment," she said without looking up from putting on her strapped heels.

"Come on, don't you think Misty's hair would look pretty pinned back with curls," I pleaded.

Leaf looked up, "Hmm….actually, that's a good idea."

I beamed, "Traitor," Misty hissed as I started to curl Misty's hair.

Leaf rolled her eyes, "Relax Misty, looking girly is not going to kill you. Besides, you even admitted that you like dolling up every once in a while."

"I do admit that, but not over the top like Dawn here," she huffed annoyed.

"Hold still, I have to pin your curls back," I said annoyed while putting Misty's curls in place with rhinestone studded hair pins.

"There, all done," I chirped as I let Misty get up and check her hair.

"Alright, I admit that it looks good," Misty said as she started to put on make-up.

"Okay Leaf, you're turn," I said with a smile.

"Don't go over the top," Leaf warned.

"Do I ever go over the top?" I asked.

"Yes," Misty and Leaf said flatly.

"You guys are mean," I pouted as I brushed Leaf's hair. "You have to admit though; I haven't been over the top to you guys in a long time."

"I guess so," Leaf sighed.

I then heard a knock on the door, "Come in," I said as I started to curl Leaf's hair.

The door opened and I took a quick look to see that it was the guys.

"You guys are here early, got bored?" Leaf asked.

"Something like that and we still don't have a plan for tonight," Gary said he and Ash sat on the nearby bed while Drew took a chair and Paul stood against a wall.

"Well, we can't do much of a plan since we don't know what's going on," Misty said as she came out of the bathroom.

I looked at her and frowned, "Really Misty, you could have done better than that," I groaned. "You didn't even put on eye shadow for Mew's sake."

Misty glared at me, "It's just make-up Dawn, it's not the end of the world."

"Yes it is," I said as I started to pin Leaf's hair with rhinestone pins in a half up-half down style with a small messy bun. "It accents one of a girl's best features that guys fall for and it is our job to make them stand out."

I looked up from doing Leaf's hair, "You know what? Wash off the makeup, I'm going to do it for you."

Misty crossed her arms while leaning against the bathroom door frame with an eyebrow raised, "Seriously?"

I glared at her, "I could just show Ash the pictures…"

"Alright, just shut up already!" Misty shouted as she went back into the bathroom to wash off the mascara.

"What was that about?" Ash asked.

"Nothing!" Misty shouted from the bathroom.

"Is it always like this when you girls get ready for these things?" Gary asked.

"Babe, you have no idea," Leaf sighed as I finished her hair.

"Alright Leaf, you are done," I said pleased with my work. "Misty, you done?"

"Yea," Misty huffed as she came out and sat down.

"Leaf, you better put your makeup on right," I threatened as she went into the bathroom.

"Yes mom," she said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes and got out my makeup from my bag.

"Alright Misty, since you are being stubborn about this. I'm doing a gradient eye shadow," I warned as I started to apply the base.

"You can't be serious," Misty groaned.

"Don't move!" I snapped.

Misty sighed by stayed still, "Besides, you'll thank me later when Ash can't stop looking at your eyes when you're dancing," I said in concentration.

A minute later Leaf came out, "Does this meet your approval?" Leaf asked sarcastically.

I inspected her makeup and nodded, "I approve."

Leaf rolled her eyes with a small smile as she was about to take a seat next to Gary when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Leaf said as she made her way to the door.

"Hi Leaf, have you seen Miss Amy? She disappeared and she hasn't done my hair yet," Lottie explained as she fingered the small tiara in her hands.

"No, I haven't seen her," Leaf said.

"Whoa, you look so pretty," Lottie gasped in awe.

"Why thank you," Leaf said with a small grin.

"Come on in Lottie," I said as I finished up doing Misty's makeup.

Lottie came in and Leaf shut the door before sitting next to Gary.

"You look as ready as I am," Lottie commented as I let Misty get up and check her makeup.

"Well, I've been helping Misty and Leaf get ready," I said as I turned to Misty and smirked. "I bet I did such a terrible job."

Misty came out and rolled her eyes, "I'm just glad you didn't go over the top," she grumbled as she sat next to Ash.

"You look pretty too," Lottie complimented as she inspected her face.

Misty blushed slightly, "Thank you Lottie."

"Hey Miss Dawn, could you do my hair?" Lottie asked.

"I don't see why not," I said as I stopped brushing my hair and gestured to the chair next to me. "Take a seat."

"Yea!" Lottie said excited as she sat down. "Wait….what about your hair?"

"I can do it while Dawn does yours," Leaf said.

I glared at her, "You better not do anything you'll regret."

"As if I want a death wish from ruining your hair," Leaf said while chuckling.

I frowned, but said nothing as I started to brush Lottie's hair.

"What have you been doing all day?" I asked Lottie.

"Greeting everyone that's come for the festival. There were so many people, I even got to greet Princess Salvia. I still don't believe that you aren't related. She's your twin right?" Lottie asked.

I chuckled, "No, she's not my twin. We aren't even related."

"I still don't believe it," Lottie commented.

"Who else did you see today?" Leaf asked.

"Let's see…..," Lottie said in thought. "Mostly it was nobles from the kingdom and a few visiting royalty members from kingdoms around the world."

Lottie then fell forward slightly as if saddened, "Can you sit up?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry," Lottie said quietly as she sat up straighter.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked.

Lottie sighed, "I was hoping to see a certain person today, but I didn't see them."

"Who's that?" Ash asked.

"May Maple," she said much to our surprise.

"How do you know her?" I asked.

"She saved me and my family a while ago when I was sure that I would have lost everyone," she said. "I reminded momma to invite her, but she hasn't appeared yet."

"Charlotte. Chaaarrlotte! Where are you? We have to greet our guests in a few minutes," Adeline called faintly from the hallway.

"Oh no, I forgot!" Lottie said panicky.

"Hang on Lottie, turn and face me so I can put your tiara on," I said as I finished pinning her hair.

She then turned around and gave me her tiara. I then positioned in on her head so that it didn't disturb my handiwork.

"There you go," I said with a smile as I grabbed a hand mirror from nearby so Lottie could see her hair.

"Wow! You made it look like Princess Lana's hair from Frigid!" she said excitedly before attacking me with a hug. "Thank you!"

I laughed, "You are welcome. Now you better go find your mother."

She nodded and ran out of the room to find Adeline, "I curled your hair, but I haven't done anything else to it," Leaf reported. "I decided it would be best for you to mess with your hair than me."

"Very wise," I agreed as I looked at Leaf's curls in the mirror. "Not bad on the curling though."

"I aim to please," Leaf said as she gave a mock curtesy before she and Misty began putting on the gadgets we packed earlier.

I rolled my eyes in amusement as I decided on a curled bun to the bottom left side. After patting my hair in place, I quickly put on my makeup before going to my bag and pulled out a small box.

"What's that?" Misty asked.

"It's a bag of tricks, "I said as I pulled out a small metallic looking box with four holes on the long side and one hole on each side perpendicular to it.

"Are you going to explain?" Misty asked.

"Let's say I have a gadget that needs a field test," I said as I placed the fingers of my right hand inside the corresponding holes.

After a couple of seconds, I pulled my fingers out to see that they were painted silver with a small snowflake gem on each before putting the fingers of my other hand in the holes.

"Wait a minute, is that the nail gadget we discussed last week?" Leaf asked.

"You bet, Lizzy and Max finished it yesterday. Thought now would be a good test run," I said as I tossed the device to Leaf who started doing her nails.

I then started to hide a few throwing needles in my hair as Leaf handed the device to Misty.

"Care to explain what this gadget is, all I see is that it does your nails," Gary observed.

Leaf laughed, "It's a whole lot more than that, trust me."

The guys just gave us weird looks, but said nothing as we made our way to the ballroom. We got there just in time as the fanfare announcing Charlotte and her family began.

"Announcing their royal highnesses," the harker announced. "His royal majesty, King Richard and their highnesses Prince Stephen, Princess Adeline, her ladyship Charlotte, and his lordship Nicolas."

The family then entered causing all of us in the ballroom to clap.

The king then raised his hand to silence everyone, "Welcomed guests, thank you for coming tonight. My family and I hope that you enjoy yourselves tonight as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of this kingdom. May she stand for years to come," he said causing everyone in the ballroom to applaud before going back to what they were doing.

"We better split up and keep an eye on things since we have no idea what's going on," I said.

"When you say splitting up, I hope you mean in pairs," Leaf said as she looked to see a blond guy coming toward her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked with charm as he bowed in front of Leaf.

"I'm sorry, but I must decline," she said coolly yet politely as Gary stood next to her protectively while wrapping an arm around her.

The guy cringed in slight fear from Gary's glare and bolted elsewhere.

I chuckled, "Poor boy, he didn't stand a chance."

I then felt a tap on my shoulder and looked behind me to see Salvia.

"Salvia!" I exclaimed happily as I gave her a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"And you as well," she said politely with a grin.

"How have you been? Last I heard you were visiting Alamos Town," I said as we walked to some seats nearby.

"Yes, Unfortunately I had business with Baron Alberto that couldn't be avoided," she said with a sigh. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Lance wanted us to be here," I said not explaining much.

"Ahh, I take it that I shouldn't know what's going on," she said quietly.

I sighed, "To be honest, I don't really know what's going on either."

Two guys then walked up to us and bowed, "Would you please honor us with a dance?"

I quickly looked around for Paul, but saw no sign of him.

"I would be honored," Salvia said as she took the guy's hand.

I sighed and caught a guy giving me a look out of the corner of my eye giving me shivers.

"I would as well," I said seeing the guy still watching me while giving him my hand.

I was then walked onto the dance floor and we started moving to the music.

"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"Can't a lady remain anonymous?" I retorted with a smile.

"Not one as beautiful as you," he said playfully.

"Such a flirt," I said while keeping an eye on the one guy who was staring at me earlier.

I continued to battle the guy's advances til I noticed Paul tapping the guy on the shoulder when we paused in between steps.

"May I?" Paul asked politely.

I gave a grin while the guy frowned. He said nothing as my hand was passed to Paul's.

Once we started dancing, I kissed Paul's cheek, "Thank you for the rescue, I don't know how much longer I would have kept myself from punching him."

"If you want to thank me," Paul said as he dipped me before kissing me and bringing me back up to continue dancing. "You need to do it right."

He smirked as I felt my face heat up causing me to frown, "Screw you," I muttered in annoyance as I hated it when he got me flustered.

"Is that how you should treat your boyfriend after he saves you," Paul asked still smirking.

I glared, "You really need to stop hanging with Gary so much, you turning into one cocky jerk."

Paul chuckled as he kissed me again as the song ended.

We then walked to the edge of the room and I felt as if someone was staring at me. I turned to see it was the same guy as last time before he suddenly vanished.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked as I continued to try and find the guy.

"I'm not sure," I said as Leaf and Gary came up to us.

"Way to play it subtle you two," Leaf teased.

"If you want yourself to live another day in subtle beauty the next time we're under cover, I suggest you zip it," I snapped.

Leaf just smirked, "I'm so scared," she said in mock fear.

It was then my turn to smirk as I pulled out my compowder to email her a particular picture I designed to show Leaf looking great, but not in a way she would like.

She checked her poketch and her face when from smirking to glaring in three seconds flat, "Never Berlitz."

I laughed lightly, "Don't be too sure Green, I have many connections in the fashion world and I'm also a pretty good spy."

Gary and Paul looked at us in confusion before Gary took a quick peek behind Leaf to try and look but Leaf snapped her compact shut before he could get a good look.

"It can't be that bad Leafy," Gary said with a slight laugh.

"I'll be the judge of that," Leaf snapped.

"Aside from teasing, have you two spotted anything out of the ordinary?" I asked.

They shook their heads, "Not so far, but it's weird because I don't see May around," Leaf said with a slight frown.

"Maybe it's because of her position as governess that she's not able to attend," I guessed. "Even so, that wouldn't stop her from showing up."

"I guess we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled," Leaf sighed as the current song ended.

"I think it's time for another dance," Gary teased as he pulled Leaf onto the floor before she could protest.

I laughed at Leaf's face as she yelled quietly at Gary only to be shut up with a kiss, "And she's scolds us in not being subtle."

I then felt Paul stand in front of me, "Would me lady honor me with a dance?" he asked causing me to look at him with a smirk.

"And if me lady refuses?" I asked.

"She'll be dragged onto floor against her will," Paul answered with a smirk.

I sighed, "Since you leave me no choice, I shall accept," I replied as I accepted his hand.

"All antics aside, what's gotten into you? You hate attention," I asked as we began to dance.

Paul smirked, "It's worth it to see you get flustered Troublesome."

I sighed and glared at him, "I've said it once Shinji and I'll say it again. Screw. You." I said before smirking. "Teddiursa ."

I saw Paul's eyes light up with annoyance causing me to smirk even more.

He then pulled me close, "You know I won't let you get away from that," he whispered in my ear.

"Oh?" I asked. "How are you going to get back at me if we're in public?"

Paul smirked, "Who said anything about getting back at you now?" he retorted.

I rolled my eyes and let him guide me on the dancefloor.

During the next two hours, Lance and Clair as well as the other champions appeared, but nothing happened.

"_All this waiting is getting really annoying_," Misty said as I took a sip from a champagne glass that I grabbed off a servers tray.

"_You do know we're not allowed to drink_," Leaf pointed out.

I looked across the second floor balcony to the other side and gave her an "I-don't-care" look and drank the rest of it.

I tried to reach for another glass but Paul grabbed my hand, "No Troublesome, I don't want to you do anything stupid."

I pouted and crossed my arms, but said nothing.

"Are you guys enjoying yourselves?" Charlotte asked as she walked up to Paul and I.

I nodded and gave a small smile, "How about you?"

Charlotte then frowned a little, "I was hoping to see May, but she hasn't come yet."

Suddenly the main doors opened causing some to turn their heads and see May come in causing Charlotte to run out to get downstairs.

"_Speak of the Giratina herself_," Leaf muttered as Charlotte ran to see May.

She then attacked May with a hug and then began dragging her towards her parents.

"We better get closer to see what's happening," I said as we noticed a small crowd beginning to appear around May and the royal family near the throne.

"Rise my child, there is no need for formalities," the king said as he gestured with his hand for May to rise from curtsying.

"I disagree your majesty, there is a time and place for formality and this setting is one such time," May said politely. "Unless I want to be the gossip of upper circles for not showing his majesty respect."

"Hmm, you are very wise and poised for a girl your age," the king complimented.

"You praise me too highly your majesty," May said honestly.

"Nonsense, the king gives credit where credit is due and you my dear certainly deserve it," Adeline praised.

"Is it true that you saved my son and his family while they were outside the castle?" the king asked.

"She did more than that, we'd be dead if it wasn't for her," Charlotte said causing all nearby to go quiet.

"I think you are stretching the truth Princess Charlotte," May said politely.

Charlotte frowned but Adeline placed a hand on her shoulder before she could speak out.

"But did you save my son from an injured leg that might have killed him, helped her ladyship deliver my grandson when she was ready to tire out, and rescued the family from assassins?" the king asked causing murmurs to appear.

"Yes," May answered after a slight pause causing more murmurs to appear and for Paul and I to share a brief glance at each other before looking at May.

"_That must have been the cry for help May heard_," Leaf whispered.

"_It also explains why she didn't come back to school til later_," Ash added.

I looked around the room and noticed behind me the guy from before standing nearby and reaching inside his tuxedo jacket as well as some other guests on the other sides of the second floor balcony.

"My dear, you have my utmost gratitude for what have you done for my family," the king said gratefully. "My family was broken apart by those who wish the monarchy harm and had them imprisoned."

"Hardly," a voice said as something was thrown toward Charlotte from all directions, but May was quick as she turned around and threw her hand in front of her to send the projectiles to hit other areas of the room away from the guests.

With quick wit, I activated the track devices on my nails and shot them at all the different men who threw projectiles.

"I'm sorry your majesties, but this war on you family is far from over," May said quickly as panic arose and guests began screaming and trying to exit the room.

Suddenly a guest rushed forward in the direction of Charlotte, but May blocked him causing hand-to-hand combat to ensue.

"He's not the only one here, find them," May barked which I assumed was toward the gang and I as the man she was fighting landed on the second floor.

I quickly looked around and saw all the assailants running away with the rest of the guests who were running about.

"_How the hell are we supposed to find them_?" Gary asked incredulously as he looked around the room.

"Easy, you'll find them on your wallets/compowders," I said with a slight grin as I pulled mine out to see the assailants running away in different directions from the ballroom.

"_Was that_..?" Leaf asked.

I smirked, "What do think?" I said as I ran out of the room to start chasing after the assailants.

* * *

**_A Few Moments Earlier_**

(May's POV)

I looked from my hiding spot in a concealed entrance of a secret passage to see everyone having a good time. When planning for tonight, I considered about disguising myself in something that no one would recognize, but I decided against it. I was still disguised as Amy and I did dress up in a dark red, off the shoulder floor length dress if I had to maneuver about the party if need be.

I looked at my watch to see that it was time to for my double to appear which she did causing some heads to turn. A minute or so later, Charlotte attacked me with a hug and began pulling my double to her family near the thrones in the room.

As my double was talking to the king, I focused on the auras of the knights that I recognized and unfortunately, I recognized even the ones who I took down weeks ago. As I studied their auras, I felt them shift as if in concentration.

"Hardly," a voice said as something was thrown toward Charlotte from all directions causing me to override her auto functions through my small piece of aura in her and had her turn and raise her hand to send the projectiles elsewhere.

I then let my control over my double vanish and let her go back to functioning to how I set her for that moment. As the guests were running around in chaos, I snuck out of my hiding spot and ran to Charlotte and her family a few feet away.

"Angel!" Charlotte cried.

"Quick your majesties, follow me," I directed as I walked back to my hiding spot and activated the entrance.

"Is this necessary? I'm sure the guards can handle things," the king said anxiously.

"Sorry your highness, but they won't do. Please, into the passage," I said again.

Charlotte went in first with her parents following. The king then went in with me bringing up the end as I closed the entrance and brought out a small flashlight.

"Let me lead first, I'll guide you out of here where you'll be safe," I said as I started to go around everyone to reach the front.

"How do you know about this?" Adeline asked in catching her breath.

"I've been planning this for a few days in knowing this would happen," I said as I started down the hall following the route I made earlier.

"May I ask how you know? Are you with them?" the king demanded.

"Hardly your majesty," I said slightly annoyed. "I wanted to make sure that Lottie would be kept safe. Especially after they tried to poison her a week ago."

"They tried to kill me?" Lottie cried as her voice rose an octave.

I turned around and knelt down to look at her, "Unfortunately, but I won't let them. There's no need to be afraid," I said gently.

She then hugged me hard causing me to hug her back.

"Come on," I said gently as I took her hand and continued to lead the family down the maze of secret passages.

Before long, we made it out to the gardens.

"May!" I heard a voice call out making me turn around in surprise.

"Cynthia?" I asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here and how did you know it was me?"

"I didn't, you just told me," she said as a mechanical hand appeared out of nowhere and snatched Charlotte and pulled her into the air.

"Charlotte!" Adeline yelled.

"Mommy! Help me!" Lottie cried.

I grit my teeth in frustration as I looked to see a Meowth shaped balloon.

"Jessie, you grabbed the wrong one," James complained.

"Either way, the twerp will bring in money for ransom," Jessie retorted.

"Cynthia, take their majesties to the forest a little ways from here. A friend has transportation waiting to take them to a safe place," I said quickly as I grabbed Delcatty's pokeball.

"But…..," Adeline protested.

"I'll rescue Charlotte, now go!" I ordered as I called Delcatty out.

"Use Assist!" I shouted as I took a quick look to see Cynthia guiding Lottie's family to the forest.

"Meow!" Delcatty shouted as she produced Blaziken's Ember attack.

The ember collided with the mechanical hand causing it to break and drop Charlotte.

I quickly used Psychic on Lottie in trying to lower her to the ground, "Now use Thunderbolt!" I grunted in concentration.

Delcatty leapt up and used Thunderbolt causing their balloon to explode.

"I told you we shouldn't have come to this party," Meowth complained.

"We're blasting off again," they shouted faintly as they disappeared.

I then focused my attention on Lottie who was twelve feet off the ground. Suddenly, I felt a slight shock to my aura and noticed something shine in the moonlight causing me to gasp.

"Lottie!" I screamed as I stopped using Psychic to run and jump in front of Charlotte as a quiet boom was heard in the distance.

I felt an impact causing me to fly backward and hit the ground.


	22. It's Finally Over

**_October 27th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

**_A Few Minutes Earlier_**

(Leaf's POV)

"The heir will fall," the man before said with a grin as I zip-tied his hands.

"We won't let her," I gritted as I kicked the man behind the knees to make him fall forward.

"You know we aren't supposed to hurt after we caught them," Ash said as he made his bad guy sit on the ground next to mine.

"I think we got them all," Gary reported as he arrived with his knight.

"_I think so to, we got the other four_," Misty reported.

I then heard an explosion and saw something fly off with a 'we're blasting off again'.

"Was that Team Rocket?" I asked.

"Lottie!" we heard May shout followed by a gunshot causing me to gasp.

"_What was that_?" I heard Paul ask.

"_What that a gun shot_?" Dawn asked worriedly.

I looked at Gary and Ash in fear when I noticed a figure running away.

"Stop!" I shouted as I started to give chase.

Of course they didn't stop and they dropped something which looked like a hand gun causing me to run faster in anger.

"You won't get away!" I screamed as I activated my nails to grow seven inches before swiping my hands in front of me trying to scratch the figure.

I heard him groan signaling me that I hit my target and saw them fall a few feet later.

"You have nowhere to run," I said as I walked around to see that the figure was none other than the house keeper Mrs. Wemble.

"Down with the heir," she hissed in pain.

I glared as her as I placed a tracking chip on the back of her neck.

"Why…can't…..I…..move," Mrs. Wemble strained to say as she tried to move.

"You're in paralysis and for a good fifteen minutes," I snapped as I zip-tied her hands behind her.

"Lance, there's a suspect captured northwest of the castle, sending coordinates now," I reported as I sent them over my compowder.

"_I'll have agents pick them up_," he said letting me run back to find out if any damage was done.

"Ash, Gary. Have you located May?" I asked as I ran.

"_Why do you need to find May_?" Misty asked.

I stopped and bit the inside of my cheek as I carefully picked up the handgun.

"_I don't know. When you ran off, Ash stayed behind to watch the knights while I took off in the direction the figure came from. I found the 'May' we saw in the ballroom stabbed with a knife_," Gary reported causing me to tense in fear.

"_Oh my Arceus_!" Dawn gasped.

"_What are you saying_?" Drew demanded anxiously.

"_Relax man, the 'May' I found is a fake. It's something similar May used when she faked her death_," Gary said causing all of us to sigh in relief.

"Thank heavens it was a fake," Misty sighed in relief as I finally got out of the forest and up a small hill to see the castle.

I then noticed a figure lying on the ground and a small figure crouched near her.

I took off to investigate and the closer I ran, I could make out who it was causing me to run faster.

"Oh my Mew," I panted in fear.

"_Leaf? What's wrong_?" Gary demanded.

As I ran, I hit my distress button on my compowder which automatically sent my coordinates to the others.

"May might have escaped the knife, but not the gun," I said hoarsely as I got within earshot to hear Charlotte crying and gently shaking May.

"Wake up Angel, please!" Lottie cried.

I then knelt beside May as I looked to see blood coming from her chest, "Oh my Mew," I whispered again as I felt tears begin to sting my eyes.

"May!" Misty and Dawn cried in unison as the others arrived and gathered around May.

"Please, not again," Drew murmured in sadness as he raised his hand over her to read her aura.

"Don't worry my love, I'm not dead yet," May said faintly as she blinked her eyes open.

"Angel!" Lottie cried as she hugged May's neck.

"Shhh, sweetheart. I'm alright," May murmured as she pet Lottie's head with a free hand. "It's all over."

Drew then called for medical help which soon arrived in the form of a helicopter.

"Will she be okay?" Lottie asked as paramedics helped carry May into the helicopter with Drew following them.

"She'll be fine, she's as tough as an Ursaring," Dawn said confidently. "Now, let's get you to your parents."

She took Lottie's hand and led her away with Paul following them as the helicopter took off for the hospital.

"We better make sure everything is secure around here," Misty said as the helicopter was out of sight.

She and Ash left as I then turned around and picked up the gun I had placed down next to me when I knelt down next to May.

"Where did you get that?" Gary asked.

"Mrs. Wemble dropped in when I chased her in the woods after she shot May," I said quietly.

I then trembled slightly as Gary took off his suit jacket to drape over my shoulders before giving me a side hug while kissing my temple.

"Everything will be okay Leafy," he said gently as he guided me back inside.

"I pray to Mew it does," I whispered.

Gary pulled me closer as we reached the ballroom where agents were walking around taking control of the situation.

I then handed the gun to an agent for evidence before we walked over to Ash and Misty talking to Lance.

"And Maple has been flown off to the hospital?" Lance asked.

"Yes," Misty answered tiredly.

Lance grunted, "That girl really goes all out and has little concern for her life. Anyway, I'll have the agents take it from here. You are to be teleported back to Lilycove where you can rest."

"Lance," I spoke up. "The seven of us request a three weeks leave of absence."

"Why? You've already had two weeks off," Lance asked with a raised eye brow.

I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut off, "Don't worry, you may have it," Clair said as she walked up to us.

"Clair, that's a bit ridiculous," Lance argued.

Clair frowned, "They are shaken up by what's happened in the last month and need down time to recover. Besides, we've never given them much of a break."

Lance grunted but said nothing, "We can take over from here, you all should try and get some rest."

The four of us nodded and we started making our way to our rooms.

"We'll join you girls in a few minutes, it's best if we wait in the same place for when Dawn and Paul come back," Gary said as I gave him back his suit jacket.

"Alright," I agreed as we split our ways to change out of our dress wear into something more comfortable.

Half an hour later, Misty and I had changed and sat on our beds waiting for the guys.

"I think at this rate, I'll get gray hair before I'm forty," I muttered as I flopped back onto my bed.

Misty chuckled, "With May around, I think all of us will."

We heard a knock at the door, "Come in," I called as I raised an arm over my eyes.

I heard the door open and shut as wells a shuffling footsteps. Then I felt a shadow cast over me, "Can I help you?" I asked.

Suddenly a pillow was dropped on face causing snickers, "Yes Gary," I muffled.

"What makes you think it was me?" he teased. "It could have been anybody."

"First off, Misty doesn't play that trick. If she wanted me up, she would have thrown the pillow at me while shouting at me to sit up," I started to explain as I took the pillow of my face.

"True," she agreed.

"Second, Ash wouldn't do it because he would fear my wrath like that last time he pulled that stunt when we were kids," I further explained as I sat up.

"True," Ash said sheepishly.

"Lastly, you love to torture me and don't fear my rage because you think I'm freakin' cute when I'm mad," I finished in a slight snap as I flung the pillow behind me.

Gary sidestepped out of the way causing the pillow to hit the wall and fall with a soft thud.

"All very true," he agreed as he smirked at my glare before pecking me on the lips and stepping out of reach.

I huffed in irritation as I crawled to the back of the bed and laid against the pillows before looking at Misty.

"You're lucky Misty. May, Dawn, and I have to put up with men who don't fear us when we're mad. They just stare and smirk when we glare," I complained as I shot Gary an annoyed look.

"You do know they do that to egg you girls on. Besides, they probably have some sort of masculine instinct which tells when you are really mad. Well, mostly Paul and Drew, Gary's works only half the time," Misty explained.

"Hey!" Gary shouted in protest causing Ash to snort.

I chuckled, "Point taken," I agreed.

"Leafy!" Gary whined.

I laughed as I patted the space next to me letting Gary know it was safe to come over.

"Anybody have an idea as to when Paul and Dawn will be back?" Ash asked.

"It's hard to tell. They might not even be back until tomorrow," I said as Gary sat next to me and laid an arm out so that I could move closer and snuggle into him.

Suddenly someone's compowder/wallet began to ring.

"Hope it's not mine cause I am not planning on moving," I muttered.

"No need to worry Leafy, it's mine," Gary said as he pulled his wallet out of his sweatpants and sat up causing me to groan.

"Hey man, how's May?" Gary asked causing the rest of us to sit up.

"_She's fine. Apparently May had layers of silk in her dress which helped protect her from the bullet causing serious damage. She still has the bullet penetrate her slightly so she had some stitches put in. She can be released from the hospital tomorrow_," Drew reported causing all of us to sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness," I murmured.

"_Anybody know who shot May_?" Drew asked.

"It was Mrs. Wemble, she was hiding in forest. She was probably waiting there as the knights back up plan in killing Charlotte," I explained.

Drew sighed, "_Figures, she was an evil old lady_."

We then heard a ding, "_I better go, May's coming out of surgery_," Drew said tiredly.

"K, keep us posted," Gary said before shutting his wallet.

I then fell backward to hit the pillows, "Thank goodness May stuffed silk in the bodice of her dress," I sighed in relief.

"What good does silk do?" Ash asked.

"Silk was one of the first cloth materials for bullet proof vests," Misty explained. "She probably figured that someone might have a gun and she couldn't hide wearing a bullet proof vest so she went with the next best thing."

"Way to plan ahead," Ash said thoughtfully.

We heard the door open causing all our heads to turn and see Dawn and Paul come in.

"Charlotte and her family are safe. They are being protected by agents outside the castle for night, they'll be back here tomorrow," Paul reported.

"Has anybody heard anything about May?" Dawn asked.

"She stuffed silk in the bodice of her dress which helped the bullet from causing serious damage. It only partial penetrated her so she just needed a few stiches and she'll be released tomorrow," I relayed.

Dawn sighed and hunched over slightly, "Thank goodness," she said as she sat in front of the mirror to start pull out the pins in her hair.

"Hey, were you able to take off the nail polish okay?" she asked.

I nodded, "I also scanned my nails to show that there was no trace of the drug left behind on my nails either."

"That's good, did you use the nails at all? I only had the opportunity to use the tracking chip," Dawn said as she pulled the finally pins which let her hair spill over her shoulders.

"All the functions worked as we wanted them to. I used it when I chased Mrs. Wemble in the forest," I reported.

"Can you girls please explain what you're talking about, we're a little bit in the dark," Gary asked slightly confused.

"Dawn, mind explaining since you're the only one with nail polish still on?" Misty asked.

"Sure," Dawn said as she finished removing her makeup before turning around to face us.

"To summarize," Dawn said as she flicked her wrist causing her nails to growth seven inches before swiping her pointer finger out to throw her nail out and hit the pillow next to Paul. "This nail polish allows our nails to grow and become a throwable weapon. The nail polish also contains a paralysis agent that can leave the target paralyzed for fifteen minutes if the nail cuts their skin and the gems on our nails are throwable tracking chips."

Gary and Ash looked at us in shock while Paul looked indifferent, "We asked Max and Lizzy to invent it because we figured it would be a good defense for us as well as an offense. Never underestimated a girl with a wicked mani," Dawn smirked with a wink as she got up and grabbed some stuff before going in the bathroom.

I heard the chiming of the hour and looked at the nearby clock to see that it was midnight.

"We better call it a night, it's late," I said as I yawned.

"True, see ya in the morning," Gary said as he kissed me before getting up and leaving with Ash and Paul.

"Now this whole thing is over, I wonder what May plans to do next?" I asked.

"Who knows, she's expelled from school," Misty pointed out.

"Well, I guess May will figure something out," I said as Misty turned the lights off and we fell asleep.

* * *

**_October 28th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

After being dismissed from the small hospital in town, Drew and I began making our way back to the castle.

"Are you alright, you're awfully quiet this morning?" I said softly.

Drew sighed, "I just have a lot on my mind."

I nodded and said nothing. I figured that what was on his mind was me and the pain I caused him.

After a minute, I sighed and stopped walking, "Drew, can you stop for a second?"

Drew stopped, but he didn't turn around, "I know that I've caused you pain for you this whole time and I am really and truly sorry that I did."

"Can you tell me why you left?" he whispered though he still didn't look at me.

"Yes," I murmured. "But it's best to tell everyone at once."

"No," Drew said quickly before turning to look at me. "I want you tell me now."

"Alright," I agreed as we reached the palace. "I left because I didn't want my life reflected onto someone else."

Drew said nothing causing me to sigh, "It's best to show you," I said as I raised my hand above the ground to make a time flower grow.

It then began to play my comparison memory as we continued to walk. I then moved my hand across to replay all the events that happened since we heard that cry for help in the woods.

We then reached the garden where I sat on a nearby bench while Drew still stood and watched everything. When it got to the part where I was going to be shot, I raised my hand to stop the memory, but Drew grabbed my wrist to stop me. I felt Drew flinch as the sound of the gun shot was heard before he let go of my wrist and I stopped the memory bringing us back to the present.

After a few minutes, Drew still stood there and said nothing, "At least say something," I said as I didn't like how he gave no response to what I just showed him.

"You still haven't told me why you left," he said after a thirty second pause.

I took a deep breath and looked out into the garden of flowers, "I left because I saw myself."

I saw Drew turn to face me out of the corner of my eye though I still looked straight ahead.

"I saw myself when I was seven when my parents were killed and I held Max while watching my house burn. All that time, I wanted someone to help me save them and bring them back. When she looked at me and begged me to help her save her family, I had to because I couldn't watch history repeat itself and I promised myself that I would keep her and her family safe," I explained as I tried to keep my voice under control from displaying the angry, bitterness, and sadness that I felt.

I then stood up and walked to inspect a nearby bush of roses, "When I heard that PHPA refused to help them, I took up the responsibility with anger in knowing that they were refused protection. When I took down the knights following them, I vowed that I would have no one help me because I could trust no one and I refused to put you and everyone else in a compromise with Lance."

I brushed my fingertips against the petals of one of the roses as I felt tears appear in my eyes, "I wasn't going to let them get away with killing a little girl all because of some stupid prophecy." I whispered hoarsely in trying to swallow my tears. "I wasn't."

Suddenly I was pulled into a gentle hug which I gladly accepted, "I still wish you told me," Drew murmured.

"But I couldn't, I couldn't risk her safety. I'm sorry," I whispered through my tears. "I'm so sorry."

Drew said nothing as we stood there for a while taking comfort in each other.

"You said that making my aura invisible wasn't the same as disguising it. Was that what tipped you off in knowing that Dan was me?" Drew asked after some time.

I took a step back as I took his hands in mine while shaking my head and smiling softly, "Actually, it was your smirk that got me suspicious."

"Really now?" Drew said teasingly.

"I'm serious, you have a distinct smirk," I retorted before continuing. "Then I checked your aura to find it invisible which made me all the more suspicious. Later on when we met up at night, I noticed your ring and then I knew it was you."

"When I had you show me your hand that night, that was your ring wasn't it?" Drew asked.

I nodded as I let my hands slip from Drew's and reshaped it to what he saw that night using metal bending before changing it back, "I couldn't bring myself to take it off so I changed its appearance when you tried to find it."

Drew then pulled me close and kissed me, "Drew, are you sure you still want to be with me," I asked once we broke apart.

I sighed and looked down, "I know that I what I did hurt you and I don't want to put you in that position ever again, but I don't know what the future will have me do so I want to give you the chance to leave if that's what you want," I said quietly.

Drew sighed softly as he lifted my chin up before kissing me, "I went through hell and back to be with you. I'm not gonna give you up because of this. We made promises to each other to be by each other's sides in everything we faced and to never stop loving each other. I know you feel guilty for what you did and that it caused you as much pain as it did to me, but this pain isn't enough for me to break up with you. If anything, this makes me realize that I can't live without you."

If there was anything that Drew could do, he could very easily make me weak in the knees and lose my breath. I then leaned forward to kiss him, "I guess what they say is true, absence makes that heart grow fonder."

Drew gave me a soft smile before kissing me back.

"We better go inside, everyone's probably wondering where we are," I said as I grabbed his hand to go back inside

I felt my arm being yanked back gently before being hugged around from behind, "Or we could make them wait a while," Drew whispered in my hair as I leaned back against him.

"As much as I would love to, I have a lot of explaining to do. Plus I need to change out of the dress the hospital let me borrow," I said as I felt Drew's arms around relax.

"Must you always shoot me down," Drew grumbled as he crossed his arms.

I smiled softly as I kissed him, "Come on grumpy," I said as I grabbed his hand and started to pull him to follow me.

We then heard a fanfare, "We better hurry, the royal family is returning."

We quickly made it back inside in time and blended in with the crowd that greeted their majesties arrival.

I noticed Charlotte looking around anxiously before her eyes locked on mine, "Angel!" she cried as she raced forward and hugged me.

I smiled softly as I gently hugged her back as to avoid bumping my stitches and bruised ribs, "You're okay!"

"I don't go down easy," I teased. "And what did we agree on when to call me Angel?"

"Oops," Charlotte blurted.

I smiled as I looked up to see their majesties coming towards me, "I want to thank you for rescuing us and saving my daughter," Adeline said as she shifted her hold of Nicholas. "But I must say, you have a lot of explaining to do."

I sighed and nodded, "I expect you for tea in a little while, I'll send a maid to tell you. Also, I would like you to appear as yourself. It's not good to hide who you are."

"Yes your majesty," I said with a slight curtesy.

Adeline then turned to Drew, "You and your friends are also welcome to join us."

"Thank you your majesty," Drew said politely with a slight bow.

Adeline nodded, "Come along Charlotte."

Charlotte took a hold of her father's hand as they walked away.

"May!"

I turned around to see the gang walk up to me, "How are you feeling?" Dawn asked.

"I'm feeling alright, a little sore, but otherwise I'm good," I answered.

"Good because the lot of us are ready to kill you!" Dawn snapped angrily. "What the hell! You let yourself get shot you idiot!"

I sighed, "I had no way to stop it otherwise and I couldn't push Charlotte out of the way."

"Even with your powers?" Misty asked with a raised eyebrow.

I nodded, "I've been feeling weak in regenerating my powers to their normal standards so I didn't have enough to do anything when it came to jerking Charlotte out of the way with Psychic."

This caused everyone to frown, "Why are your powers weaker?" Gary asked.

"I don't know, I assume it's from teleporting to Hoenn and back a week ago. It took a lot out of me," I explained. "Anyway, I need to change and dye my hair back."

"How are you going to do that when you're not supposed to get your stitches wet?" Drew asked.

"I'll think of something," I said while shrugging my shoulders.

Dawn groaned, "Come on, I'll help."

"You don't have to," I said as she walked in front of me.

She stopped and turned around, "It's fine. Besides, I want to make sure you look good for this tea," she said shortly.

I rolled my eyes, "I know how to look appropriate."

"Well, I'd rather play it safe," she insisted. "Anyway, grab what you need and come to our room. I can help change your hair back."

We then started upstairs and split ways as Dawn went to the room where she was staying and I went to the governess's room to get what I needed. Five minutes later, I appeared in Dawn's room. After a few hours, my hair was back to normal.

"Thanks for helping me with my hair Dawn, it looks great. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you could be a cosmetologist," I teased.

"I'm not that great, I can just do the basics. Besides, it would have taken forever to die your hair back if we didn't trim your hair," Dawn pointed out.

"True," I agree. "But you still did a great job."

Dawn gave a small grin and helped me change into the governess dress I brought with me since I couldn't move my arms up without hurting my ribs and pulling at my stitches.

"Thanks for the help, the stitches make it very hard to move around," I said as Dawn zipped up my dress.

"No problem," she said as she went to pick up my cut hair.

"Don't throw it out, we'll have to burn it somewhere later," I said as we walked out of the bathroom.

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"Clones," I muttered as I sat down in front of the mirror in the room.

"What you talking about?" Leaf asked as she looked up from the card game that everyone was playing.

"I need to be careful with my hair whenever I cut it. Someone might try to steal it and make clones of me," I explained.

"You're very paranoid about that," Gary commented.

"I'm paranoid because it has happened before. Ask Max," I said tiredly. "Hey Dawn, do you mind doing a French twist?"

"Your wish is my command," she said as she picked a hair brush.

"Oh come on! How come you let her get away in picking how she wants her hair?" Misty groaned as the group put away their cards.

"Because she actually styles it multiple ways all the time while you live with either your side-ponytail or your hair down," Dawn retorted.

Misty rolled her eyes as Dawn finished doing my hair.

"Thanks Dawn," I said as I checked myself over.

"No problem, you look gorgeous," she complimented dramatically.

I rolled my eyes as I heard a knock on the door. Leaf got up and answered it to see Lucia.

"Their majesties invite you to tea," she announced.

"Thank you Lucia," I said as I got up and walked over.

"Oh, you're in here too. Well that saves me a trip up the stairs," Lucia said with a grin.

"We'll be down shortly," I said as Lucia gave a brief nod before leaving.

"I'll meet you guys downstairs, I have to grab some something from upstairs," I said as I started to leave.

"I'll come with you," Drew said as he walked fast to catch up to me.

I turned to look at him, "You don't need to."

"But I want to," he insisted.

"All right," I agreed as we started walking.

"What is it you need?" he asked.

"I need to return some books to their majesties," I explained.

"Why not just return them to the library later?" Drew asked slightly confused.

"Because I want to make their majesties aware of these books," I said making Drew more confused.

"You'll understand in a little bit," I explained as we reached my room.

After grabbing the books, we made our way to one of the bigger sitting rooms where the gang, their majesties as well as Clair were.

"Angel!" Charlotte cried excitedly as she attacked me with a hug.

"Charlotte, be careful! May isn't a stuffed animal you can tackle," Adeline scolded.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte apologized as she let go.

I gave a smile as I knelt down to her height, "It's alright, I like hugs anyways," I said with a wink causing Charlotte to smile big and hug me again.

Charlotte then let me go and took her seat next to her mother while I grabbed a cup of tea before sitting next to Drew.

"You wished to see me," I said to Adeline.

"Yes, I believe you have quite a bit of explaining to do," she said.

I nodded and sighed, "To make this easier, I better start it at the beginning. When returning to Lilycove City with Drew, Paul, and Dawn. I heard Stephen cry out for help causing me to separate from everyone to investigate. I discovered his lower leg caught under a log and helped him out. I then noticed that the tree had been cut on purpose as I helped Stephen back to the cabin that he and his family were staying at. When I got there, Adeline was ready to pass out from labor. After helping Adeline deliver Nicholas, I quickly helped heal Stephen's leg."

"How did you do that?" the king asked.

"I'm an aura guardian and I have some healing abilities," I explained

"Can you heal yourself?" the king asked.

"Not with my aura," I said while shaking my head. "Anyway, the next morning, some knights came in and tried to kidnap Charlotte. We were able to escape from them on pokemon, but they found us later on. After finally beating them and having them arrested, I noticed that there was a miniature tracking device on Stephen's shoe. After their majesties left, I went to Lilycove to show that I made it back. After I got expelled..."

"Wait a minute, why did you get expelled?" Stephen asked.

"The school has started the tradition of a 'camping challenge' to test us as trainers and coordinators. We're given a few days to make it back or we would be expelled," Dawn explained.

"But since I came back late, they expelled me," I said.

"They did give you a chance to explain yourself," Leaf added.

"Yes," I agreed, "but I decided against saying anything because I knew that the business with the knights was far from over and for the safety of their majesties I said nothing to know one."

I then got up to refill my cup, "To continue on, I then changed my appearance and disguised myself before following the royal family to the castle. I heard from people in town that the castle was hiring extra help to prepare the castle for the anniversary. I faked some papers and got myself a position as a maid."

I then turned around to look at Adeline and Stephen, "I apologize for the dishonesty in that, but I had to make sure I could a suitable cover in where I could keep an eye on Charlotte."

Adeline waved her hand in the gesture of it not mattering, "You did what you had to do, go on."

I then sat back down, "Anyway, I was then promoted to being Charlotte's governess after a few weeks. During the time when I was a maid, only small instances occurred in trying to hurt Charlotte such as sneaking into her room when she was asleep. Then it escalated when your majesties left for a few days," I said with a sigh. "Charlotte was poisoned with Cicuta, a poison found in water hemlock."

This caused everyone's eyes to widen, "Was that why I felt ill and fell of Starlight?" Charlotte asked.

I nodded, "You were very ill sweetie and the pain was so intense that you didn't notice that you fell off."

"Is Cicuta dangerous?" Stephen asked.

"It is," I said with a nod. "It's one of the most dangerous plants in the Kanto region. It causes seizures, vomiting, dizziness, etc. It is deadly unless treated immediately."

"Oh my baby," Adeline breathed as she hugged Charlotte.

"I didn't know what she was suffering, but I brought her back to the castle as fast as I could. After the doctor finished checking Charlotte, he diagnosed that she had food poisoning even though I told him that she had a seizure. In knowing that, I decided to treat Charlotte myself since I couldn't alert anyone without tipping off the knights. I then teleported out to snag a small lab kit from an acquaintance as well as snagging some Benzodiazepines from the Pokemon Center in Petalburg," I explained.

"What are Benzodiazepines?" the king asked.

"They're a drug used to help prevent epileptic episodes," I explained. "Anyway, I tested the food we ate for lunch and found that Cicuta was laced in Charlotte's. At that point, I read that activated charcoal was used to help draw poison out of the digestive system, but that it also had side effects. I had no other option so I teleported to the Cerulean Pokemon Center to borrow some since they keep stock of it since water hemlock is common in the area."

"When you say teleport, do you mean as in _you_ teleported?" the king asked surprised.

"Yes, I have the ability to teleport, but that's a whole 'nother story," I answered.

The king still looked at me surprised, but said nothing which allowed me to continue, "After treating Charlotte with the activated charcoal, I kept a close eye on her to make sure that she didn't suffer any side effects. Thankfully she didn't and she got better after a while. Over the course of the next couple of days, the knights were suspicious of me when Charlotte was well after being poisoned. Small 'accidents' began to happen such as pushing me down a flight of stairs or throwing a dagger at me. At that point in time, I was trying to figure out a plan for the ball to ensure Charlotte's safety, but it was hard because I had no idea who the knights were. When I was in the library, my Skitty escaped her pokeball and discovered a hidden room in the library when she knocked a statue over to open the door. While in there, my Skitty evolved into the Declatty by touching the Moon Stone on the display of your Evolution Stones. I still need to replace that," I said slightly sheepish.

"Don't worry about it," Adeline said with a wave of her hand. "While in the secret room, did you find anything important?"

"Yes," I said as I handed her the books I brought down. "One is a family history of all the nobles of the kingdom. When held to a flame, a symbol appears next to the names of those belonging to the knights. The other book is one that holds the original blueprints of the castle which was how I was able to route our escape last night."

Adeline handed the books to Stephen, "Keep the blueprints hidden, they are a resource and a weapon depending upon who reads it," I advised.

"So what happened after the secret room?" Clair asked.

I sighed, "While in there, I had to hide when Mrs. Wemble came in."

"What a minute, she knew about the room?" Stephen asked surprised.

"Yes, she was probably told of it from one of her ancestors because her family has ties to the knights," I explained.

"She also was the one who shot you," Leaf said bitterly.

I looked at her surprised before looking away in thought, "She must have been the one to poison Charlotte as well since she had access to the kitchen," I murmured.

Adeline fell back against the couch where she sat, "My Mew, our own housekeeper," she said in shock.

"Continue," Clair said shortly.

"After almost being discovered, I decided that Drew needed to leave and that I wanted a source of back-up to play it safe so I called another acquaintance of mine who is a buff of old spy play. I had him send PHPA an anonymous message while calling a friend to send a message to Clair as to where Drew was," I said causing the gang to look at me as well as Clair.

"After that and having to give myself away since someone was noisy," I said with a slight snap before looking at Dawn.

"What can I say, I'm a natural detective," she said slightly bragging.

"I set my plan in motion. I arranged for a holographic double of sorts to take my place in appearing as me. Meanwhile, I hid in the shadows til the knights appeared. When they did, I helped the royal family escape and had them taken to a safe house arranged ahead of time. It didn't quite go as I planned when Team Rocket tried to kidnap Charlotte so I had Cynthia take his majesty and his family to the safe house while I rescued Charlotte. In the process, I couldn't move her out of the way fast enough when I saw the moon reflect off the gun so I jumped in the way," I said quietly. "More or less, you know the rest."

"That my dear is quite the story, but you never told us the reason in why you helped us," the king pointed out.

I sighed, "The day Charlotte begged me for help when I got Stephen to the cabin. I immediate saw myself as seven again the night my parents were murdered. At that moment, I vowed to myself that I would do anything to keep her safe as I wouldn't let anything happen to her or her family like it did to mine. I wasn't going to stand by and let history repeat itself to someone else."

"So you gave up everything for her," Misty summarized plainly.

I nodded, "But I don't regret it, all that matters was that I was able to keep Charlotte and her family safe."

I then looked at Adeline, "I also apologize, but I will be resigning as Charlotte's governess."

Adeline sighed while Charlotte looked saddened, "I understand and I appreciate all the service you've done for my family as well as the kingdom."

Charlotte then leapt forward and ran to me to hug me tightly causing me to wince in pain, "You can't leave, I won't let you!" she cried.

I gave a sad smile as I hugged her back, "All good things must come to an end," I murmured.

"No!" Charlotte shouted stubbornly.

I sighed, "I've done my part in watching over you, but I have to go where the wind takes me," I explained gently.

"But it's not fair," Charlotte argued.

I gave a small laugh, "Baby girl, I have learned throughout my whole life that it isn't fair, but it's something that we have to live with and continue on."

Charlotte frowned, "Do you remember the bedtime story I've been telling you for the past few nights?" I asked.

"Yea, the little girl who felt she was alone and had all these different adventures that put her in danger, but that she found friends and love that changed her life around and made her feel not alone," Charlotte answered.

"Did you ever figure out who the girl was?" I asked.

"No…...wait a minute, was she you?" Charlotte asked.

I nodded, "The bedtime story that I told you was my story."

"But why did you tell me?" Charlotte asked.

"It's a lesson to show that no matter many times that life shows it's not fair, it still has its moments that make you glad that you keep fighting because those moments are worth living for," I explained. "I know that you don't want me to leave, but you'll be okay. You have parents and a little brother that love you very much as well as everyone you meet. You have the gift of getting people to like you just within ten seconds of meeting you."

"Really?" Charlotte asked with wide eyes.

"Absolutely," I said as I tapped her nose.

Charlotte then hugged me again, "I'll still miss you."

"I'll miss you too," I said as I hugged her. "But don't worry, I'll be here until Sunday."

"Yea!" Charlotte said excitedly before racing back to Adeline.

I shook my head slightly while smiling at her antics, "May," Clair said getting my attention. "I have nothing against what've you done to help the royal family, but Lance wants to have a meeting on Monday to discuss this with the other champions."

"I understand," I said with a nod.

"Good," she said slightly relieved as she looked at her majesties. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, but I'm afraid I must go."

"We understand," Stephen said with a nod. "Again thanks for your help."

Clair nodded before looking at the gang, "You are also free to leave now that everything here is settled."

They nodded as Clair got up and left, "Hey momma, shouldn't we do something for May since she did so much to help us?"

"Yes we should," Adeline agreed. "What do you think we should do?"

"We could give her a title like a Baroness," Charlotte suggested excitedly.

I slightly choked on my tea causing snickers to appear from the gang, "As much as I appreciate the idea Charlotte, that isn't necessary. Besides, titles can only be given to members of the kingdom."

"What about knighthood?" Charlotte then said causing more snickers and chuckles. "Grandpa knights people from everywhere."

My eyes widened while shaking my head in slight shock, "Giving me a title is not necessary Lottie," I lightly exclaimed.

"Nonsense, my granddaughter has a point," the king argued before looking at Charlotte. "Now women can't be given knighthood, but they can be given damehood."

"Then do that with a ball afterwards," Charlotte suggested.

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Adeline praised. "What do you say father?"

"I like the sound of it. I'll leave the arrangements to you Adeline," the king agreed.

"As you wish," Adeline nodded before looking at me. "May dear, will you be attending the servants ball tonight?"

"I think I have to unless I want to get an earful from Katie," I joked.

Adeline nodded before looking at Drew, "You are also welcomed to attend as you did work for us for a short while."

"Thank you your majesty," Drew said with a nod.

"If you don't mind your majesty, I would like to rest a little before the festivities tonight," I said as I stood up and placed my empty cup on the service tray.

"Of course," his majesty said with a nod allowing me and everyone else to leave.

As soon as we left, I let out a huge sigh, "What's the matter May?" Leaf asked.

"I'm getting a title which I find to be utterly ridiculous," I said with a slight laugh.

"What's wrong with it? Afraid to called Dame or Lady all the time?" Misty asked before smirking. "Huh, guess Lizzy could legitly call you Lady May."

I stopped and turned to face her with a glare on my face, "Don't you freakin' dare?" I threatened.

She smirked as she pulled out her compowder and began typing something causing me to roll my eyes and drop my head, "Do whatever you want, I give up."

I then turned around and began walking away, "I'll you guys later, I'm going to lie down."

"Sure you're okay?" Dawn shouted.

"I'm fine, just tired," I hollered back.

I then heard fast footsteps behind me before they matched my pace, "Are you going to follow me everywhere now?" I asked slightly amused.

"Something like that, I'm just gonna bug the crap out of you by following you around," Drew teased.

I laughed, "I think I can live with that," I agreed as I took his hand in mine as we continued walking.


	23. Magical Deja Vu

**_October 28th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

After resting for a while as well as healing my wound with waterbending, I was feeling a lot better.

As I finished dressing, I heard a knock at my door, "Come in," I called.

I peeked around to see that it was Charlotte, "You have to help me get ready," she said smartly.

I smiled, "I figured as much. Do you want to choose your dress?"

"Yea!" Charlotte said excitedly as she ran over to her room next door.

I chuckled as I walked over to see Charlotte racing back with a light blue dress in her hands, "I wanna wear this one," she said as she held it out to me.

"All right," I said as I helped her into it before doing her hair and placed her crown on her head.

"Now go wait with your mother, I'll see you in a little while," I said as Charlotte twirled to look at herself in the mirror.

"Okay, see you later Angel," she chirped as she skipped out of the nursery.

I shook my head in amusement as I went to my room to change. After getting ready, I made my way downstairs to find everyone bustling around.

"Do you need help with anything?" I asked Martha.

Martha looked at me and squinted, "Do I know you?"

I grinned, "I think so, I'm the governess around here."

Martha looked at me shocked, "Amelia?!"

"Not really, my actually name is May. Amelia was my cover name," I explained.

"Of course, all of us down here of gotten wind of your actions last night. Are you sure you're well enough to be down here? Rumor was that you were shot," Martha said concerned as she continued to bustle around.

"I was," I said causing gasps to be heard and everyone to pause. "But I'm all healed up."

"How can you possibly be healed up from a gunshot wound?" Ella asked not believing me.

I looked around to see that there was a bandage on her hand, "Katie, are you okay? What happened?"

Katie looked at me with sad eyes, "Lewis and I got into a spat last night," she said sadly.

I gave a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry, but he's probably being interrogated right now for his part in last night."

Katie nodded, "I figured, but I still can't believe that he had any part in it. He seemed to love the royal family."

I sighed, "According to what I found out, his family has deep ties to the knights who swore revenge on the royal family so I guess he decided to follow that path."

Katie sighed, "I suppose, but it still hurts."

I gave her a side hug, "Why don't you sit down so I can heal your hand," I said as I went to grab a small blow to fill with water.

Katie looked at me confused, "The doctor already treated it though, what more could you do?"

I smiled as I brought the bowl over, "How about heal it completely."

I then took off Katie's bandage to see a deep cut on the inside of her hand. I then started to waterbend the water from the bowl to cover her hand and start the healing process. A few seconds later, I took the water away to see her hand completely healed.

Everyone looked at me in shock while I gave a smug look to Ella, "That's how I healed myself."

"How can you do that?" Katie asked in surprise.

I sighed, "To put a long story short, Arceus gave me the ability to manipulate the elements and use aura so that I could protect him from being captured."

Alfred then entered the kitchen, "Why is everyone standing around, there is still stuff that needs to be brought upstairs."

"My apologizes Alfred, I was demonstrating something," I explained.

"If you're finished, there is work that still has to be done," he said sternly.

We nodded and the kitchen came alive as everyone was helping carry stuff outside to the garden where the ball was to be held.

As I was standing on the sidelines watching everyone finish up, I felt arms snake around my waist and was hugged from behind.

"Can I help you?" I asked teasingly as I turned my head to see Drew.

"You already are," Drew said contently as he pulled me closer.

"Stop it, someone might see us," I said with a slight laugh.

"Let 'em, I could care less right now," Drew muttered into my hair.

"Ah ha!" Katie shouted in triumph as she walked to us.

"What?" I asked confused.

Katie smirked, "I told you that you would wind up with him before the servant's ball," she said proudly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as Drew let his arms fall to his sides.

"Remember back when Dan, excuse me, Drew, first came. I said that you two would be paired for the servant's ball," Katie explained.

I smirked slightly, "Sorry to shoot you down Katie, but you said you would pair us up which you didn't really do. And second, we were already together."

"You could have fooled me, you didn't act lovey dovey at all," she pointed out.

I sighed, "It's complicated. I had to remain hidden and then Drew and I left on bad terms. Thankfully, we've made amends."

Drew wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into a side hug while kissing the top of my head.

"Tomato, tomato," Katie said nonchalantly before smiling. "You're still paired up, that's all that matters."

"Excuse me, can I have your attention please!" his majesty shouted causing all our attention to go on him.

"Before we begin, I would like to announce our new housekeeper," Adeline said with a smile as she gestured for Lucia to come forward.

"But if Lucia is the new housekeeper, who is the new head maid?" Katie whispered to me as we clapped.

Adeline then raised her hand to silence us, "Lucia, do you have anything to say?"

"I accept this post with honor milady and I would like to choose the new head maid," she said with a slight curtesy.

Adeline nodded, "Katie, could you please come here," Lucia asked.

Katie looked at her like a Stantler caught in the headlights and pointed to herself.

I gave a slight laugh, "Come on, she's waiting," I said as I gave a gentle nudge for Katie to move forward as we began clapping.

Katie then went forward and curtsied before Adeline, "Do you accept the position of head maid?"

"I accept with honor milady," Katie said happily while curtseying again.

Adeline smiled, "Good," she said before facing everyone. "Let the festivities begin."

The musicians began to play and the dancing began to pick up once the dances with their majesties and the head servants were finished.

"Hey Drew, did your family ever follow the tradition of having a servant's ball?" I asked as we watched everyone on the dancefloor.

"Probably at some point, not so much now since we only have a small number of hired help," Drew explained as I nodded in understanding and the current song ended.

"May I have this dance?" Drew asked with a smirk as he held his hand out to me.

"I would be honored," I said smirking back as I placed my hand in his and let him pull me out onto the dancefloor.

The music started to play again and I let myself be whisked away. After a couple more dances, Drew led me to the side to take a break.

"Miss May!" I heard a voice shout.

I turned around to see Lottie running up to us.

"Are you having fun?" I asked.

"A lot," she said before looking at us with a big grin. "So did you find the girl you were looking for?"

"That I did," Drew said as he pulled me close.

Lottie smirked, "I told you that you guys looked good together. Ever since Drew gave us roses."

I laughed, "Everyone tells us that and him giving me roses was a habit that started a long time ago."

"Speaking of," Drew said as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a blue rose to give me.

I rolled my eyes at his actions and gave a light slap on the arm as I took the blue rose from him.

"Don't I get one?" Lottie said pouting.

"I think I have one just for you," Drew said as he pulled a pink one out to give to Lottie.

"Thank you," Lottie said as she hugged Drew as I smiled and trimmed the stem of my own before placing it in my hair.

"Can you put mine in my hair too?" Lottie asked.

I nodded as I took her rose, trimmed it, and placed it in her bun, "There you go," I said with a small pat on her head.

"Thanks Angel," she said as she gave a slight yawn.

"I think it's someone's bedtime," I murmured.

"But I'm not sleepy," she argued.

I gave her a look, but she ignored me as Katie walked over.

"How are you Luvdisc doing?" she teased.

"We're fine," I said as I rolled my eyes.

"Why has the music stopped?" Lottie asked all of a sudden.

I looked over to where the musicians were, "I think they are taking a break."

"But it seems a little dull without music playing," Lottie pouted.

Drew knelt down to Lottie's height, "You know, I've heard that Miss May can play anything," he whispered.

Lottie looked at him with wide eyes and smiled, "Really?" she asked as she glanced at me before looking at Drew.

Drew nodded, "But I'm not sure if she's up to it," he said causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"I think you're right," Lottie agreed with a nod causing Katie to snicker.

"I know what you two are doing and I'm not falling for it," I snapped slightly as I saw Drew giving me a smirk.

"What are we doing?" Drew asked.

"Yea, what are we doing?" Lottie asked giving me the innocent face.

"You're trying to make me go play something," I accused.

Lottie grinned, "Why don't you then?"

"Because I'm not in the mood," I answered simply with a nod.

"I think she's a scared Skitty," Drew whispered.

"Say what you want. I'm not budging," I said firmly.

"Please Angel," Charlotte asked giving me the Poochyena pout.

"Not the Poochyena pout," I groaned.

Lottie kept doing it until I sighed heavily, "Fine," I agreed before smirking and grabbing Drew's hand. "But Drew is performing with me."

"What? Oh no no no no, you are not dragging me into this airhead," Drew frowned.

I smirked, "Too bad grasshead, you started it," I said as I started to drag him over to wear the instruments were.

Lottie cheered as she and Katie followed us. I took a seat at the piano while Drew picked up the guitar.

"You so owe me for this," he muttered.

"As I said, you started it," I said with a grin.

"What are we playing?" he asked sighing in defeat.

"How about a few Single Nation songs," I suggested.

He nodded as we both started playing causing everyone to look at us in surprise.

"Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep. Dreaming about the things that we could be," I started.

"But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard. Said, no more counting dollars we'll be counting stars," Drew continued.

"Yeah we'll be counting stars," we both harmonized.

Soon the dancing picked up again and Lottie was all smiles.

After a couple songs, I switched to the violin as some of the musicians came back to play. After a while, Drew and I relinquished the instruments and we walked over to the side.

"That was amazing!" Charlotte shouted enthusiastically.

"I agree," Adeline complimented as the royal family came over.

"You two are very talented," the king praised.

"Thank you your majesty," Drew said with a slight bow.

"I trust that we shall see this tomorrow night," he said grinning causing Drew and I to freeze in surprise.

"You want us to play tomorrow night?" I asked.

The king nodded, "Just for a short part of the evening. You two are pleasing to listen to. Do you suppose you could perform an original song tomorrow?"

"I don't know if we….," I started to explain slightly flustered.

"We'll have one ready," Drew quickly interjected.

"Good, I expect great things," the king said proudly.

"Yea!" Charlotte said excitedly before it turned into a yawn.

"Come along dear, it's time for bed," Adeline murmured.

"Do you want me to take her up?" I asked.

"That won't be necessary. Just enjoy the night," she said with a smile as the royals left for inside.

I sighed in annoyance before I started to walk away dragging Drew with me.

"May slow down, what's wrong?" Drew asked as he stopped us.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded as I turned around to face him.

"What was what?" Drew asked.

"Promising the king and original song, we don't even have one written up," I hissed in frustration.

"Relax May, we'll use the one that I wrote," he said as he cupped the side of my face with hand.

I looked at him in surprise as I placed my hand over his, "You wrote a song?"

He nodded, "I got the inspiration for it when you came here. It needs to be transposed for the piano though as guitar isn't the best sound for it."

Drew then took my hand and pulled me toward the castle.

"Drew, where are we going?" I asked as he continued to lead me upstairs into one of the sitting rooms.

"You'll see," he said as he pulled over a candle stick on the fireplace mantel.

Soon the fireplace swung out and he led into the room behind it. I gasped at the openness of the room and found a grand piano as well as a few other instruments.

"What is this place? I murmured as I looked all over.

Drew chuckled, "Shouldn't you know, you told us you studied the castle's structure to find secret passages," he teased.

"I did, but I didn't know about this room since it wasn't connected to the passages I used to help Lottie and her family escape," I explained. "But how did you know about it?"

"I came across it when I was a footman. I figured it was a practice room for musicians. Either way, I've been here a few times if I wanted to work on the song," he explained.

"Do you have the lyrics?" I asked.

He nodded and handed me a notebook as I took a seat on the piano bench.

I started to read it and by the time I reached the chorus, I was already crying.

"May?" Drew asked worriedly.

I put the notebook down and hugged him, "It's beautiful," I cried.

"I haven't played anything to it yet," Drew teased as he held me.

"We can't play this tomorrow, it's too precious," I said as I dried my eyes. "We can make one from scratch."

Drew smirked as he played "Too bad, I want to play it. Originally I was going to try and play it for you, but I figured it would be better if we made it a duet. Plus, I like the idea of us creating a song from scratch."

"But will we have time?" I asked concerned.

Drew nodded, "I wouldn't worry, we'll figure it out."

I gave a soft laugh, "I guess two heads are better than one," I agreed.

Drew then gave a smile before kissing me, "We'll call the song that."

"Huh?" I asked as Drew kissed me again.

He smiled as he picked up his guitar, "Two is better than one."

* * *

**_October 29th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

I groaned as I blinked a couple times to find myself back in my room. I sat up and noticed I was still in my dress from last night. I then looked at the side table to find a red rose lying there. I smiled softly as I picked up the rose and fingered the petals.

"Same old grasshead," I murmured.

I figured that I must have fallen asleep while working with Drew and that he carried me back here.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard a knock on the door, "Come in."

"Thank goodness you're up. Mama wants to see you in ten minutes," Lottie said as she hopped on my bed.

I looked at her wide eyed in slight panic, "What time is it?" I asked as I quickly got up and started to grab my governess dress.

"It's after 10:00. I tried to get you up earlier, but you were dead asleep. I tried to change, but had to have Katie help me when she brought up some tea for you," Lottie explained.

"I'm sorry Lottie, I was up really late last night," I apologized as I went behind the changing screen to switch clothes.

"Were you with Drew?" Lottie asked teasingly.

"Something like that," I said as there was another knock at the door.

"I got it," Lottie called as she hopped off my bed to open the door.

"I've got a breakfast tray," Katie announced as she came in.

"Thanks Katie, I owe you one," I said tiredly as I stepped out.

"You can call it even if you tell me what happened to you and Drew last night," she said teasingly.

I groaned as I sat in front of the mirror to fix my hair, "What is it with everyone I talk to being so fascinated with my love life?"

"Well…." Katie asked with a smirk.

"Well after my loving boyfriend told his majesty that we would perform an original song. We had to figure out what we were going to do. I hadn't written a full song in ages due to lack of time and no inspiration. Drew then told me that he wrote a song and that we could use his," I explained.

"So both of you are song writers?" Katie asked intrigued.

"I am, but Drew never told me he wrote his own songs. If anything, I think the one he wanted to use was his first. But after reading the lyrics, I couldn't bring myself to let him play it. From what I read, it was too precious," I murmured.

"Precious how?" Lottie asked.

I sighed as I looked at the dressing table before giving a small smile and looked at Lottie, "He basically wrote a love song saying that despite my flaws, he still loves me."

"Aww," Katie and Lottie cooed.

I shook my head in amusement at their response as I started to eat the breakfast Katie brought up, "Anyway, I then told him that we could perform a song from scratch instead of using his. But he said he wanted to perform it as well as the song from scratch."

"Well one thing's for sure, love is in the air tonight," Katie teased.

Lottie sighed dreamily, "I hope my prince and I can write a love song together."

I chuckled, "You're too young to think about that."

"A girl can dream can't she," Lottie pouted.

I nodded, "Yes I suppose she can," I murmured in agreement before looking at the clock. "Good heavens, your mother is probably waiting on us."

I quickly finished eating, grabbed Delcatty's pokeball, and gave myself a quick look over, "Come on Lottie."

Lottie hopped off the bed and followed me as we went downstairs, "Where is your mother?" I asked.

"She's probably in the drawing room trying to prepare for tonight's ball," Lottie chirped as she skipped ahead of me.

She then walked in to find her mother talking to Lucia.

"That'll be all," Adeline said as she handed a paper to Lucia.

Lucia gave a small curtsy and left as Adeline gestured for me to sit opposite of her, "You wanted to see me milady?" I asked as I poured myself a cup of tea.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about tonight," she said as Lottie grabbed a cookie off the tray. "Don't eat too many sweetie, you'll spoil your lunch."

"Yes mama," Lottie answered before continuing to munch on her cookie.

"Quick question for you milady. For the ceremony, is it just me being given damehood?" I asked.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Adeline asked.

"No, I was just wondering if you should recognize the PHPA agents that helped bring down your enemy. Don't you have an award for bravery or something of the sort?" I asked.

"Yes," Adeline mused in thought.

"We should do it mama, they did help Angel out in capture the bad guys," Lottie agreed.

Adeline smiled and nodded, "Then we shall, I'll have someone make sure we have the metals set out."

"Is there anything else your majesty?" I asked.

"Yes, I am having Patty sew you up your outfits for the ceremony and the ball tonight," Adeline added.

"That's not necessary your highness," I admonished.

"I insist," Adeline said gently. "Don't worry May, I think you deserved to be spoiled a little bit for all the hard work you've done for us."

"Yeah, you'll look like a princess. Hey! Hey mama, we should Angel borrow a tiara," Charlotte said excitedly.

"Lottie, that's enough," I reprimanded gently. "I don't need a tiara for tonight. Besides, I don't have the status to wear one."

Adeline gave me a playful smile before looking at Lottie, "I'll see what I can do."

"Yea!" Lottie shouted as I slumped back and sighed.

"Does everyone like making me uncomfortable?" I groaned as I sat back up.

"No, we just like to appreciate all you've done for us," Adeline said gently. "Does it bother you?"

"I suppose, I'm just not used to all this attention. Normally my efforts go by unnoticed," I explained.

"Not with us my dear. You know us royals, we like to make a big fuss of everything," Adeline teased.

I laughed in agreement as Alfred came in, "Milady, Mr. Hayden is wondering if Miss Maple is available."

"She is," Adeline said with a smile before looking at Lottie. "Now be good for May sweetheart."

"Yes mama," Charlotte promised as she hugged her.

"Where is Drew?" I asked Alfred.

"He's in the garden," Alfred answered.

"Thank you Alfred," I said as I followed Lottie out.

We then went out into the garden to find Drew sitting on a nearby bench.

"Hey Drew!" Lottie shouted as she ran up and attacked him with a hug.

"Oomph! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you learned tackle," Drew teased as he hugged her back.

"Lottie, we don't tackle people with hugs," I reprimanded gently as I took a seat next to Drew.

"Drew doesn't mind, do ya?" she asked as she looked at him.

"I don't mind," Drew agreed.

"So you don't mind getting tackled in a hug?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Nope," Drew said as he popped the 'p'.

I smirked, "How would you like it if I did that then? You'd fly right off your feet."

"I'd still wouldn't mind," Drew smirked back causing me to roll my eyes.

"See," Lottie called.

"You aren't helping my young charge's behavior," I scolded with a frown as I turned away from the both of them.

"Is she really mad?" I heard Lottie whisper to Drew.

"Nah, she's playing with us," Drew whispered back. "Watch."

I felt a tap on my shoulder, but I didn't budge. It then got more persistent.

"Drew, I swear if you don't stop…." I said as I turned around only to find myself being kissed causing me to blush due to Lottie being there.

"See," Drew said smirking causing Lottie to giggle.

"Haha, very funny," I said sarcastically as I tried to control the heat in my face.

"Hey Angel, can you let out Delcatty?" Lottie asked.

"I don't see why not," I said as I let her out.

"Come on Delcatty, let's go explore," Lottie said as she and Delcatty started to run off.

"Don't go too far!" I shouted.

"Look at you airhead, you've grown into quite the motherly Kangaskhan," Drew teased.

"Oh shush you," I said as I playfully slapped his arm. "Do you have your wallet on you?"

Drew gave me a confused look, "The techy wallet," I said bluntly.

"Why?" Drew said as he pulled it out.

"I have to tell everyone something," I said as I started to call Dawn.

"_Hey Drew, what's up_?" Dawn answered.

"Nothing much, May decided to commandeer my wallet," Drew called.

"I did not commandeer it, I wanted to borrow it," I retorted.

"You never said you wanted to borrow it," Drew pointed out with a smirk.

"_Guys, flirt on your own time_," Dawn groaned.

"_Hey, is that Drew and May_?" Leaf asked.

"_Hey guys, how's it going_?" Gary added.

"_How was the servant's ball_?" Misty asked.

"It was fine, Drew roped us into performing for a bit," I said as I watched Lottie run with Delcatty.

"_Aww, you guys performed? That would have been cool to see_," Dawn complained.

"_Dude, how did you manage to get roped in_?" Ash asked.

"Drew started it by challenging me to do it with Lottie's help," I said tiredly.

"You could have turned us down," Drew pointed out.

"Oh yeah as if I want to break that little girl's heart by saying no," I retorted. "It's hard to ignore the Poochyena pout."

"_That girl is goin' places_," Leaf said.

"_What are you talking about_?" Ash asked.

"_The Poochyena pout, every girl masters it when asking for something_," Dawn explained.

"I bet it's not that effective," Gary said not believing it.

There was a fifteen second silence, "_Okay stop it already woman_," Gary complained.

"There you go Leafy, you now have a great weapon at your disposal," I laughed.

"_Wait until these guys have their own daughters and they master it, they will become total puttie with one stare_," Misty laughed.

I pictured the guy's future daughters using the pout causing the guy's to give in. The girls and I laughed at the image.

"_Okay enough_," Paul muttered.

"Anyway, I wanted to call you guys and tell you that you all are part of the ceremony this afternoon in being given awards for helping in protecting the family," I explained with a grin.

"_What?! What the hell May_?" Leaf complained as everyone groaned.

"I couldn't take all the credit for helping, "I pointed out.

"You're doing this to get back at me aren't you," Drew accused.

"No I'm not," I laughed.

"Yes you are, you're still pissed about last night," Drew said haughtily.

"No I'm not," I said again.

"_Whoawhoawhoa, wait a minute? What happened last night_?" Dawn asked.

"_Did you two get into a lover's quarrel again_?" Leaf asked teasingly.

"Don't point out something that also happens to you Leaf," I snapped slightly annoyed.

"_Back on point, what happened_? Misty asked.

"Drew told his majesty that we would perform an original song tonight," I explained. "I was pissed at first, but we figured it out."

"_So what are you going to sing_?" Ash asked.

"You'll see tonight," I said as I saw Lottie and Delcatty coming toward us. "We've got to go Lottie's coming. See you in a couple hours."

* * *

(Drew's POV)

May then closed the wallet and handed it back to me as Lottie came up panting.

"That was fun," Lottie said happily as she pet Delcatty on the head.

"Good and I do believe it's about time for lunch," May said as she returned Delcatty and stood up.

"Can we go riding this afternoon?" Lottie asked as we started making our way back inside.

"Sorry Lottie, but I don't think there will be time," May said. "We have to prepare for this afternoon and this evening."

"I guess you're right. Maybe we can tomo…..oh," Lottie said sadly as she stopped walking.

May looked at her sympathetically as she gentled pulled her to the side of the hallway and sat down on the nearby bench to be at her height, "I still don't want you to go," Lottie whimpered as tears started to gather in her eyes.

"We've already talked about this sweetheart. I've done my part and it's time for me to go," May explained as she used her thumbs to gently wipe her tears away.

"I know, but it still makes me sad," Lottie cried as she hugged her.

May lifted her up to sit on her lap and hugged her back as she let Lottie cry on her shoulder.

I took a seat next to them and began to rub Lottie's back. After a couple minutes, Lottie calmed down as she pulled away from May and looked at both of us.

"I'll miss you both," she said as she then reached and hugged both of us.

"We'll miss you too," May said as we hugged her back.

"Come on, we better make the most of it starting with lunch," Lottie said as she put on a brave face and started skipping to the dining room.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. After lunch, May and I were ordered to get ready for the ceremony. After that, we were ordered to change again for the ball that was in 20 minutes.

After I finished getting ready, I decided to go check on May.

"Come in," I heard her say as I knocked on her door.

I walked in to find her sitting in front of the mirror putting the finishing touches one her hair. I also noticed to the side of her was a flower-inspired tiara.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

May sighed as she laid her head on her arms on the dressing table, "No, I think this is really ridiculous," May complained as she lifted her head up.

"Hey, come here," I said gently as I took a few steps toward her.

She got up and stood in front of me as I took her hands in mine, "I know that you aren't a fan of what Lottie and her family are trying to do for you, but you need to understand that they want to show you their appreciation. For them, this is their way of doing it. Be happy and have fun, for Lottie's sake."

May sighed and looked down before looking up and giving me a small smile, "Alright."

I smiled back as I took the tiara and placed in on her head, "There, a perfect picture of beauty."

May blushed slightly at the comment before she hugged me, "Thank you for being there for me Drew."

"For the beautiful woman in my arms, always," I murmured as I hugged her back before we kissed.

"May I escort you Lady Maple?" I asked as I offered my arm.

"I would be delighted," May answered as she placed her hand on the crook of my elbow and kissed my cheek.

We then made our way downstairs to the entrance of the ballroom where their majesties were waiting.

"Oh May, you'll be entering when we do," Adeline called before giving her attention to Lottie.

"I'll see you in a few," I said before kissing her cheek and letting her go.

I then walked inside and found everyone off to the side.

"Where's May?" Leaf asked.

"She's coming in with their majesties," I explained as the fanfare played to announce them.

"Announcing their royal highnesses," the harker announced. "His royal majesty, King Richard and their highnesses Prince Stephen, Princess Adeline, her ladyship Charlotte, and his lordship Nicolas."

The family then entered causing all of us in the ballroom to clap.

"And our honored guest who has received damehood, Lady Maybelle Maple," the harker added as more applause was heard.

"Would you look at that, some might say she's an actual princess," Misty mused.

"Well she is called the Princess of Hoenn," Dawn teased.

* * *

(May's POV)

After the harker's announcement, I walked over to everyone else off to the side.

"Hello there princess," Misty teased causing me to frown slightly with an eyebrow raised.

"Seriously Misty?" I asked.

"She's got a point May, you are really dressed up for the part. Even your crown looks legit," Dawn pointed out.

"That's because it is," I muttered.

Dawn looked at me shocked, "No freakin' way, her majesty lent you a tiara?!"

"I didn't ask, Lottie brought up the idea," I explained with a sigh.

"So how much is that thing worth? $100,000?" Ash asked.

"Try five times that," I said causing everyone to gape at me while Gary let out a low whistle.

"That is some crown," he commented.

"And it does you justice," a familiar voice said causing me to turn around.

"Lizzy?! What are you doing here?" Drew asked surprised.

"I heard from Max that May was being given damehood so naturally we Hayden's invited ourselves to the festivities," Lizzy explained smartly.

"Seriously," Drew muttered.

Lizzy frowned, "Did you forget that mom and dad are acquaintances with their majesties?"

Drew sighed, "It's hard to remember since mom and dad seem to be acquainted with everyone."

I then noticed Max with Gardevoir and Nurse Joy walking towards us.

"Max?! Nurse Joy?! Gardevoir?! What are you doing here?" I asked as I gave each a hug.

"Well, I heard you were being rewarded for your efforts so naturally we can especially since you disappeared into thin air for a month," Max said flatly.

I sighed, "I'm sorry about that, but I had to."

"It's alright May, we understand," Nurse Joy said kindly with a smile.

I noticed that she looked more tired and slightly pale, "Are you feeling okay?" I asked concerned.

"I'm fine sweetie. It's just been busy at the center for a while. Thankfully, it's finally calmed down," she said with a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure you feel well enough for tonight?" I asked.

Nurse Joy nodded, "I wouldn't miss this for anything," she said as she hugged me again. "I'm so proud of you and I'm sure your parents are too."

I pulled around and wiped some tears that started to gather, "Thanks Nurse Joy, that means a lot to me."

"Angel," I heard Lottie call as she ran towards me, "It's time for you and Drew to sing."

"Wait, you two are singing?" Max asked surprised.

"His majesty asked us to," I said as I walked with Drew toward where the musicians' area was.

When I got there, I saw Backlash hanging out in the corner.

"Thanks so much for coming at a moment's notice," I said gratefully as I gave Lila a hug.

"It was a little bit on the abrupt side, but we managed. As payment, we need you to replace Nate for our concert next weekend," she said.

"Done, just give me the song titles so I can practice."

"Good, break a leg," she said as she took Nate's arm and dragged him off as Jack and Stella followed them.

"You ready?" Drew asked me as he offered me his hand.

I nodded as I placed my hand in his. He then raised it to his hands and kissed it before we walked on stage to the grand piano.

I could feel eyes on us, but ignored it as Drew and I took a seat at the Grand Piano. I then started to play it's soft melody and let the music take us away. ("All of Me" cover by Max and Zendaya)

"What would I do without your smart mouth? Drawing me in, and you kicking me out. You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down," Drew sang.

"What's going on in that beautiful mind. I'm your magical mystery ride. And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright," I continued.

"My head's under water but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy and I'm out of my mind," Drew sang before we did the chorus.

"'Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me. I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning even when I lose I'm winning. 'Cause I give you all of me and you give me all of you," we sang as I added an "oooohhh" at the end before beginning the next verse.

Before we knew it, the song had ended causing a round of applause to be heard as Drew helped me up and we bowed. Before anything could be said, we walked to the other side of the stage where Backlash's things were set up.

Drew picked up the nearby acoustic guitar and he began to play ("Two is Better Than One")

"I remember what you wore on our first date. You came into my life and I thought hey you know this could be something. 'Cause everything you do and words you say. You know that it all takes my breath away and now I'm left with nothing," he started.

"So maybe it's true," we both started to sing as the members of backlash started to walk on stage and take their places, "that I can't live without you. Well maybe two is better than one. There's so much time, to figure out the rest of my life and you've already got me coming undone and I'm thinking two, is better than one."

As Backlash added their instruments, I began to sing the next verse, "I remember every look upon your face."

Drew then picked it up, "The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste. You make it hard for breathing."

We then started to sing together again, "'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away. I think of you and everything's okay. I'm finally now believin'."

We then started the chorus again, "And maybe it's true, that I can't live without you. Well maybe two is better than one. There's so much time, to figure out the rest of my life and you've already got me coming undone and I'm thinking two, is better than one," we sang as I carried the last note for a bit.

Drew then picked up the pre-chorus, "I remember what you wore on the first date. You came into my life and I thought hey."

We both started to sing the chorus again, "Maybe it's true, that I can't live without you. Maybe two is better than one. There's so much time, to figure out the rest of my life and you've already got me coming undone and I'm thinking," we sang before we did the chorus in harmony with more feeling. "Oooh I can't live without you. 'Cause baby two is better than one. There's so much time, to figure out the rest of my life and I've figured out with all that's said and done. Two, is better than one."

Backlash then cut off their instruments as it was just me, Drew, and his guitar, "Two is better than one."

Drew stopped playing and another round of applause sounded. We bowed again and left the stage so Backlash could perform some on their own.

Lottie rushed up to us, "That was amazing!" she shouted.

I smiled, "I'm glad you liked it," I said before she hugged me and Drew and scampered off.

"You guys are really love-struck right now," Lizzy teased as everyone came up to us, even Drew's parents and Nurse Joy.

"Those were well done especially the first," Jennifer said with some evidence of tears in her eyes.

"We're glad you like them, your son wrote the first one," I said proudly.

"And you're the one that helped transpose and play it," Drew retorted hoping to shift some of the credit on me.

"Sorry sweetie, but you get all the credit for that one," I said with a smile.

"Either way, it was a wonderful performance by both of you," Jennifer said ending our argument.

"Bet that song could get you a Grammy if you recorded it," Lizzy teased.

"Drop it," Drew said with a frown.

"Still though, two new love songs. You guys are really making up for lost time," Max pointed out.

I rolled my eyes, "What we decide to write and sing is our business."

"And I agree, but still, love songs. You both even have this lovey dovey aura about you," Max gestured as moving his hands around to emphasize his point.

"Leave them be Max. Besides it's their one year anniversary tomorrow," Dawn said causing me to feel warm in happiness.

I was worried for a while that I wouldn't be able to be with Drew on our anniversary, but thankfully things worked out the way they did.

"Huh, it's funny because Drew and May got together at a dance and now they celebrate their first at a ball. Talk about some coincidence," Leaf muttered.

As Leaf mentioned that, my mind drifted back to the dance last year and replayed all the magical moments that happened after Drew and I confessed to each other.

"Oi! May, May!" Dawn shouted as she snapped her fingers in my face causing me to slip out of my memory.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Nothing, you just zoned out all of a sudden," she said.

As everyone started talking again, I felt Drew get closer to my ear, "You want to get some fresh air?"

I nodded and took his hand as we walked out for the garden.

As we reached the rose portion, Drew stopped me and turned me around before kissing me.

"Did you just drag me out her so you could kiss me?" I asked as my hands found their way around his neck causing his to rest around my waist.

"Maybe," he teased before we kissed.

After kissing for a while, I rested my head on Drew's shoulder as we swayed from side to side.

"What were you thinking about earlier?" Drew asked.

"Huh?" I asked.

Drew chuckled and kissed my temple, "When you zoned out earlier airhead," Drew teased.

"Oh," I said as I blushed slightly at me acting out of sorts.

"I seem to have an effect on you," Drew smirked.

At this point in time, I was too content to retort so I just snuggled further into his neck and sighed, "I'm too content to retort babe," I murmured.

"Don't you go falling asleep on me, you still haven't answered my question," Drew said with a slight chuckle.

"I guess, I was just thinking about us getting together a year ago. It seems hard to believe we've been together for a year with all those ups and downs or the rare magical times and the daily 'we are in bad juju' times," I said with a slight laugh as I took a few steps away looking out into the garden and the night sky as memories poured out again of the night of the dance. "And here we are now, in a rose garden escaping a dance to talk."

I turned around to see Drew giving me a smile as music began to play to a familiar tune.

"Take my hand, I'll take the lead," Drew sang as he offered his hand and I took it.

"And every turn will be safe with me," he continued as he pulled me close while spinning me to him.

"Don't be afraid, afraid to fall," he sang as I placed my hands around his neck.

"You know I'll catch you through it all," he sang as he dipped me before bringing me back up.

"And you can't keep us apart," he sang as we began to waltz while I added, "Even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart."

"'Cause my heart is," he continued as I sang, "Cause my heart is," before we came together and sang "Wherever you are."

"It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do. And with every step together, we just keep on getting better," we sang as we finished the chorus with me singing 'So can I have this dance' before Drew sang. "Can I have this dance."

Drew then spun me out slowly as we both sang, "Can I have this dance.

Drew then pulled me back slowly as my right hand cupped the back of his neck while his rested on my hip and we walked in a circle, "Can I have this dance."

"Can I have," we both sang before I finished it quietly with, "This dance."

We then kissed slowly before we broke apart and I hugged him.


	24. Burglars, Robots, Swords, Oh My!

**_October 29th (Galin Kingdom, Kanto)_**

(May's POV)

As I was hugging Drew, I heard sniffling, "That was so beautiful," Lizzy said trying to swallow tears while I turned around to find everyone even Max, Lizzy, Drew's parents, Nurse Joy, Gardevoir, and the royal family.

"No kidding, if you two make my mascara run I'll kill the both of you," Dawn threated as she tried to blink away tears and swallowed.

"Seriously?! You guys spied on us again," I complained slightly as Drew hugged me from behind.

"We were wondering what happened to you so we came out to investigate and then we heard the magical music play again," Leaf said.

"We also recorded it for your pleasure," Lizzy announced.

I rolled my eyes and groaned as Drew leaned forward and kissed my cheek, "Ignore 'em."

"Kind of hard when everyone is here," I retorted.

"Still though, you really need to marry this girl and get it done with," Lizzy retorted.

"Still too young to be married," I pointed out.

"Uh-uh," Lizzy said as she waved her finger. "Girls were married at your age for hundreds of years ago."

"I think everyone moved the age date of marriage when it became the twenty-first century," I pointed out.

"Excuses woman!" Lizzy exclaimed. "People still marry at your age now."

I rolled my eyes wanting to retort that it was mostly because women got pregnant first and then they got married, but held my tongue due to Lottie's presence.

"Enough Lizzy," Max interjected as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think you've got their point across."

"What you don't think they should get married," she asked gesturing to me and Drew as emphasis of her point.

Max shrugged his shoulders, "Don't matter to me, they act like they are already married," he teased.

"Really bro?" I asked flatly.

Again Maxed shrugged his shoulders, "I call 'em as I see 'em. Your friends are in the same ship as you. You all act liked you're married. It really shows in you two because you're high off your anniversary which hasn't started yet."

I groaned, "_I_ cannot _believe we are having this conversation_," I complained to Drew telepathically.

"_Relax my love, this annoying, occurring conversation will be over soon enough_," Drew said with slight annoyance.

I mentally sighed, "_It's not that I don't want to marry you, it's just not the right time. As for being engaged, I don't know_," I mumbled.

"_My dear May, are you asking for a proposal_," Drew teased.

I could feel myself blushing, "_Don't be putting words in my mouth_," I warned with a pout.

"Hello? Drew! May!" Lizzie screamed causing us to break our telepathic connection. "You there?"

"We're here," I said as Drew mumbled in my ear about annoying, loud sisters.

"What were you doing, you totally tuned me out," Lizzie complained.

"I was proposing to my girlfriend," Drew said causing everyone to look at him in shock while Lizzy looked excited.

"Psych," Drew said with a smirk as I rolled my eyes while Lizzy looked peeved.

"You evil overgrown weed!" she shrieked as she tried to stomp over and hit Drew, but their father stopped her.

"Enough Elizabeth," he said sternly. "Go back inside."

Lizzie grumbled under her breath, something about weed whackers and stomped inside.

"That wasn't nice Drew," I reprimanded.

"What? I gave her what she wanted to hear," he answered.

"I still don't want you to pull that again," Jennifer warned.

"I'll stop when she drops the subject," he argued.

She sighed, "Just please behave. I know your sister is constantly pushing your buttons, but it doesn't mean you can pull a stunt like that."

"Alright," Drew agreed with a huff.

Jennifer nodded, "We'll see you later," she said before she and Christopher then took their leave.

I then heard the clock tower in town chime 10:00, "We better be leaving for Hoenn before it gets any later."

Lottie and her parents came up, "I guess this goodbye," she murmured.

I gave her a sad smile as I stooped down to her height and hugged her, "You'll be okay."

"Will you come back and visit?" she asked.

I smiled, "I think that can be arranged."

"Yea!" she cheered as I stood up.

I then took off the tiara to give back to Adeline.

She raised her hand to stop me, "No my dear, it's yours now."

I looked at her shocked, "This is a gift from me to you for protecting my family," she said as she handed me an envelope. "Here's the paperwork that makes it official yours."

"Thank you so much," I murmured as I put the tiara back on my head.

Adeline then gave me a hug, "Thank you so much for protecting my children. You are welcome back any time."

I nodded as I gave a slight curtsy before Lottie and her parents headed back inside.

"So what's the plan May?" Max asked.

"I believe I'll head to the Petalburg for tonight. I want to check on my pokemon and explain to them what's been going on with me. Then I have to meet with the champions to discuss my 'actions'," I explained.

Max nodded, "We'll see you back at home," he said as Gardevoir teleported him and Nurse Joy.

"I assume we won't be seeing either of you tomorrow," Dawn teased.

I rolled my eyes, "You'll see Drew, he has to talk to the school board about being let back in."

"Or I could play hooky and stick with you," he offered with a smirk.

I smirked back, "Nice try, but no."

I could sense everyone rolling their eyes, "_Gardevoir can you teleport them back?_" I asked her telepathically.

She nodded and everyone was sent back before she walked a couple feet away to give me a moment with Drew.

"My offer still stands," he said as his hand brushed against my cheek.

I smiled as I placed my hand over his, "I know, but you still have to see what to do about going back to Lilycove High."

"I can do it when you meet with them," he pointed out.

I gave a slight laugh, "You just don't want to let me go."

"Do you want me to?" he challenged with a smirk.

"Never," I said shortly as I hugged him.

We then walked over to Gardevoir who teleported us to the Pokemon Center.

"So you caved in and let him come," Max teased as he walked into the lobby while I returned Gardevoir.

I glared at him, "Shut up."

"Max please be nice," Nurse Joy said tiredly.

"Sorry Joy," Max said looking guilty for dragging Nurse Joy into our conversation.

"Do you have any rooms open for Drew?" I asked.

She nodded as she went behind the desk and pulled a key out for Drew, "Here you go Drew."

"Thanks," he said as he pulled out his wallet.

"Are you letting them know you're not coming?" I asked.

He nodded, "I'm also asking Gary to transfer my pokemon here."

I nodded as a minute later Drew's pokemon arrived, "I'll talk to my pokemon in the morning, it's too late to do so now," I said as I yawned. "Joy, is breakfast still at 7:00."

She nodded, "If you have a spare moment tomorrow May, I need your help with a few things."

"Sure," I said with a nod.

"If that's all, I will say good night," she said.

"Night Joy," we called as she left for her room.

"Don't stay up too late Luvdisc," Max teased as he headed toward his room.

"Annoying four eyes," I mumbled as Drew pulled me into a side hug and kissed my temple. "I'm goin' to turn in."

"Alright, night May," Drew said before he kissed me and we split up for our rooms.

After I set my tiara as well as Delcatty and Gardevoir's pokeballs on my dresser, I changed out of my dress and fell asleep.

* * *

**_October 30th (Petalburg City, Hoenn)_**

After sleeping like a rock, I found myself awake at 5:30 AM. I groaned at the early time as I laid an arm over my eyes, but sucked it up and changed into a spare t-shirt and jeans that were still around. After meditating for fifteen minutes, I decided to get a jump start on making breakfast.

I was starting to mix up pancake batter when Max came in, "I figured you'd still be asleep," he said surprised.

"I guess I'm still used to waking up this early from working as a maid," I guessed. "How many trainers are here?"

"About twelve, not that many," he said as he started to grab bacon and sausage.

I nodded as we continued to prepare breakfast. At around 6:45, Nurse Joy came in with Chancy.

"I'm sorry I didn't help, I over slept," she said slightly guilty.

"It's fine Joy, you deserved the sleep," I said with a smile as I handed her some tea that I thought would help jumpstart her morning.

"Thank you May," she said gratefully as she took a chair and sipped her drink as Max and I put some breakfast on the table for us to eat.

"Mind if I join you guys?" Drew asked as he poked his head in the door.

"Grab a chair," I said as I grabbed another plate and some silverware.

"You're up early," Max commented as Drew took the chair next to me.

Drew shrugged his shoulders, "Just felt like waking up."

"More like wanting to see May," Max muttered.

I lightly thumped his head before setting Drew's place, "No fighting or biting," Nurse Joy reprimanded with a small smile as I sat down.

"We'll see," I said as we started to eat. "So what's on the agenda?"

"After breakfast and feeding the pokemon, I need your help in moving boxes upstairs," Nurse Joy explained.

I looked at her in concern, she looked to be in no condition to do anything.

"We'll take care of it Nurse Joy, you should just watch the desk," I said concerned as I watched her shaky arm. "On second thought, you should go back to bed and rest. We can handle things."

"But…," Nurse Joy said surprised.

"No buts Joy, you're been overworking this past week. May, Chancy, and I can handle things and we'll get you if it's an emergency," Max said backing me up.

"Chancy," Chancy agreed as she rested a flipper on Nurse Joy's shoulder.

"Alright," she agreed tiredly. "Also May, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What's that?" I asked worried.

"I want to up your medical training. The more recent graduated Nurse Joys are being trained to also help heal people as well as pokemon," she explained.

"Not that I'm not grateful for the training, but why me?" I asked. "I'm not sure that going into medicine is my calling."

Nurse Joy smiled, "Did you use your knowledge from the test you took in a real life situation where it proved helpful?" she asked.

I looked down at my plate in thought about Dawn having Appendicitis as well as helping Adeline deliver her baby.

I then looked back at Nurse Joy, "What's your point?" I asked.

"Don't you want to continue medicine to help people?" she asked.

"If I could across people who need it yes, but I'm not meant to stay in one place though which is what a Nurse Joy has to do," I explained.

Nurse Joy raised an eyebrow, "No one is asking you to become a Nurse Joy sweetie."

I looked at her surprised, "I never started teaching medicine and care to become a Nurse Joy. I taught you because I could see that you never liked seeing anyone hurt or in pain and you always wanted to help them," she explained making me smile softly.

"I guess you're right," I agreed. "So what are you going to train me on?"

"Mostly it'll be surgery," she explained. "That wasn't covered on the test very well."

"When would I have to train?" I asked.

"You'll do it place of volunteering at the Lilycove High Pokemon Center," she explained. "After you left, a Nurse Joy in training took your place."

I put my head down in shame as I covered my face with my palm, "I still feel awful about upping and leaving like I did especially since I was supposed to take Brock's place."

"Don't worry about it, the trainee Nurse Joy arrived the day after you left so it wasn't that big of a deal," Nurse Joy assured me. "Out of curiosity, what on the test helped you out?"

"It helped me diagnose Dawn when she started to show signs of Appendicitis as well as help Adeline deliver her son," I answered.

Max looked at me surprised, "You helped deliver a baby?"

I nodded, "Adeline was close to passing out from being in labor too long so I had to help push the baby down to the birth canal so Adeline could deliver him."

I then looked down in thought, maybe reading up on the subject would be a good idea, better look into it later.

"I might actually look into studying herbalism as well," I decided as I took a sip of my orange juice.

Everyone looked at me in intrigue, "Now you want to study medicine as well as surgery?" Max asked.

"The reason I say that is because I wind up wanting to treat someone and I have to snitch the medicine in order to heal them which is getting me accused of stealing. So to combat that issue, it would be useful if I studied different medicinal herbs to use and it's also healthier than manufactured medicine anyway," I further explained.

"Don't you want to tell your girlfriend she's trying to achieve too much," Max asked Drew.

"If that's what she's wants to do, I'm not going to stop her. I'll be supporting her every step of the way," Drew answered as he took my hand under the table and squeezed it.

I smiled as I squeezed back and kissed his cheek in thanks while Max gave a face of 'eww', "Besides Max, my main focus would be surgery since that's what Joy wants to teach me. I'll study the basic of medicine in between. I would do more studying in herbalism after I graduate by maybe doing a two year trip to do an in-depth study journey into all four regions," I proposed.

"Two years?" Drew and Max asked surprised.

"It may vary for how long I take in each region, that's just an estimate," I explained.

"Still though, two years?!" Max said amazed.

"I'm still not sure I'll do it or not, but it's something I might try to pursue," I answered honestly.

"That's like an excellent plan," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

I looked at the time, "Oh gosh, we better get moving! Breakfast was supposed to be served ten minutes ago!"

Max and I got up and started to take food out for trainers to eat while Drew announced he would start cleaning up our breakfast.

Finally once breakfast was done, Max said he could take care of the kitchen with Chancy while Drew and I fed our pokemon.

"Thanks for helping out," I said as we finished preparing the pokemon food.

"It was no problem, it's better to be helpful than sit around," Drew said before smirking. "Besides, I don't think you and your brother could manage without me."

"Always the arrogant grasshead," I muttered with a small grin before we kissed and carried the food outside.

"Come on out everybody!" we both called as we released everyone from their pokeballs.

Once everyone realized it was us, everyone but Delcatty and Gardevoir rushed toward us in a flurry. After managing to calm them down, we explained why we disappeared.

"So that's why I couldn't sense you," Lucario muttered.

I gave him a sad look, "I'm sorry that I gave you so much grief, but I couldn't allow myself to be tracked down. It was too risky."

He grunted as he looked down to the side. This caused me to feel awful so I took a few steps toward him and hugged him.

"I really am sorry," I apologized as I felt tears begin to appear.

Lucario sighed as he hugged me back. I then took a few steps back before Lucario blasted me with an Aura Sphere causing me to crash into some bushes.

"I deserve that," I called as I raised a pointed finger from within the bush.

Drew then raced over and pulled me out, "You okay?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Besides, I deserved that," I said again as I brushed myself off.

"No you don't," Drew argued.

"Drew it's fine. I hurt Lucario so that's his way of getting back at me and I'm sure it's a message that we need to train," I explained as Lucario nodded to confirm. "Besides, I'm in need of a workout. I feel so out of shape."

"Pfft, I doubt that," Drew teased.

"Seriously, I feel gross, weak, and fat," I complained as we walked over to our pokemon as the started to eat.

Drew stopped and turned around to face me, "Okay first of all, you are not fat. You are beautiful just the way you are so I don't want to hear you say that again. And second, we'll train with our pokemon this afternoon after we help Nurse Joy and go to PHPA."

"That's the third time you called me beautiful two days in a row," I pointed out.

"Seriously, that's all you got from what I said?" Drew asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No I heard you and the last part sounds great," I said with a smile.

"Good and then tonight I will take my gorgeous and exquisite girlfriend out for dinner," Drew announced with a smirk causing my face to heat up from his description of me.

"I hope you're happy," I muttered as I crossed my arms and glared trying to fight my blush.

"I am, thanks for asking," Drew answered still smirking before kissing me and sitting down against a tree.

"You are so full of it," I mumbled as I sat in between Drew's legs and leaned back against his chest.

I could feel Drew's smirk behind me as he leaned forward and then nipped me in the crook of my neck and shoulder causing to blush and yelp.

"Seriously?!" I asked as I felt myself blush even more as my hand automatically covered where Drew bit me and turned to face him. "Is it make May blush day?"

"Something like that," Drew teased.

"Drew!" I whined.

"What, do you not want me to spoil you with affection?" Drew challenged teasingly.

I opened my mouth to retort, but closed it as I faced forward and felt myself still blushing so I crossed my arms and pouted.

"You look cute when you're angry and embarrassed," Drew said causing me to heat up more.

"You done?" I asked.

"Almost," he said as I felt his head reach forward as if he was gonna bite me again.

I turned my head out of habit where Drew kissed me by surprise, "Now I'm done," he said as he wrapped his arms around me as we watched our pokemon eat.

After they finished, we returned them and cleaned up before finding Max at the front desk with Chancy.

"Hey May, when you have a moment, could you help prepare a menu for the month. Nurse Joy was supposed to finish it last week, but she's been too tired," Max explained.

"Sure, I'll look over it tonight," I said. "Do you know why Nurse Joy wants us to move boxes?"

"Something about cleaning the attic I think, but I'm not sure," he said. "Chancy, can you watch the desk for a few minutes?"

"Chancy," she said with a nod.

The three of us then went upstairs where we discovered the attic to be a huge mess with some old equipment outside the entrance.

"I think she wants to move the equipment in here, but there's no room," Max guessed.

"I think some of your old computer equipment is in here. We can move to the bungalow for now and make room for the equipment," I proposed.

"But which box, there's a bunch and we have to leave for PHPA in an hour," Drew pointed out.

"We can put all the boxes in the bungalow and then stick the equipment in here," Max answered.

"Max, there's got to be at least fifty boxes in here!" I exclaimed.

"You got a better idea? We have to move this stuff so it's not in the way of trainers when they stay for the Petalburg City Contest in two weeks," Max pointed out.

I groaned, "Ugh, fine. Let's grab Gardevoir and Kirlia to help move a teleport a few boxes at a time."

Max went to get their pokeballs while Drew and I explored the attic in how to divide up the boxes to make the least number of trips as possible.

"We better teleport the boxes outside before we move them in because I'm not sure where we'll have room for it," I said before Max and I ordered Gardevoir and Kirlia to teleport.

We appeared in the backward when I got the feeling of something not being right. I checked for the auras of anyone else present.

"You sense anything?" I asked Drew as I noticed three unfriendly auras in the bungalow.

Drew frowned, "Looks like three men."

"Robbing the place no doubt," Max concluded.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "Drew, you go around from the front. I'll go in from here."

"What about me?" Max asked.

"Stay here with Kirlia, that way you can catch them if they race out here. Gardevoir, you go to the front with Drew and do the same," I ordered.

She nodded as she and Drew snuck around to the front. I waited until they were in position before sneaking my way in through the back.

"You'd think there'd be something worthy to steal in a house like this," one of the burglars complained.

"Let's check the basement, there ought to be something expensive down there," another smirked.

"Can I help you gentlemen find something?" I asked flatly as I stepped out and leaned against the wall.

All three looked at me in surprise, "Who the hell are you?"

"That's not a nice way to ask," I tsked.

"Look here girlie, you're gonna answer my friend's question or my other friend might cause some harm," the third burglar said as the second one pulled out a knife and pointed it at me.

"I don't think it's wise for you to threaten me, my boyfriend's super protective," I smirked as I gestured with my head to Drew who was standing behind the guy with the knife.

"What the…." he said as Drew kicked the knife out of the guy's hand before punching him in the face causing the other two to turn around.

I delivered a few quick jabs on the third guy's pressure points causing him to fall. Drew and I faced the last one who freaked out and ran out the back. He then got hit with Psyshock by Kirlia and fainted.

"Excellent job everyone," I praised as I used Psychic to carry the other two burglars out.

"Max, can you notify the authorities? I'll help May look to see if anything was taken," Drew volunteered.

Max nodded and made the call while Drew and I went inside to assess the damage.

"Great," I muttered as I looked at the front door to see the lock completely busted.

Besides stuff being overturned and a pile of something things the burglars found valuable in the living room, nothing else was damaged.

Officer Jenny soon came to take charge of the burglars and left after the three of us gave a statement.

"You should look into getting a security system for the place especially since you have your music studio downstairs," Max advised.

I sighed, "Good point. I also should look into a better lock for the door since the burglars busted this one. It also might be a good idea to install a safe here too."

"I'll look into all three this afternoon, we can leave our pokemon here to watch the place until we can come back," Max proposed.

"Sounds good, Kirlia and Gardevoir, do you mind using Psychic to help put things back in place?" I asked.

They nodded and started to get to work while I went upstairs and did the same. After I finished, I went downstairs to find all the furniture pushed against the side in the living room.

"I had them move the furniture so we could store the boxes in here," Max explained.

I nodded as I had Gardevoir teleport the boxes we brought with us to the family room while Max and Kirlia went to get the next load. After half an hour, we finished teleporting the boxes to the bungalow, moved the equipment into the attic, and teleported Drew's and my pokemon to the bungalow.

"Talk about an eventful day," I muttered as I collapsed onto one of the deck chairs.

"And it's not even noon," Max noted.

Drew then came onto the porch having finished explaining to our pokemon the situation of the bungalow, "We better get going May or Lance will be pissed."

I nodded as I stood up, "See ya later Max."

Drew then told Gardevoir to teleport us to the hidden entrance of PHPA. As I returned her, Drew slid his id card and had his hand and eyes scanned. The door then slid open and we were directed through a bunch of corridors into one of the conference rooms where the champions and Elite Four of all regions were waiting.

"Are we interrupting something?" I asked as Drew and I entered the room.

"Not at all," Cynthia said with a smile. "Have a seat."

Drew and I took a seat at the end of the table, "Shouldn't you be in school?" Lance asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I figured it would be best for May to have one of us escort her here," Drew answered coolly.

Lance said nothing as Clair came in, "Sorry I'm late, I just finished up a gym battle," she apologized.

"It's fine Clair, May and Drew just got here," Wallace pointed out.

"I see," she said as she took a seat.

"Alright Lance, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Clair has told me your story and I have a few things I wanted to discuss," he said sternly.

Great, this should be fun.

"There's a record of some medicine missing from the Petalburg and Cerulean City Pokemon Centers," Lance announced.

"Yes?" I said waiting for him to continue.

"There are proper channels in getting it as well as taking a person to the proper medical personal," he said flatly.

"I think you know by now that I don't do proper channels when a person's life is on the line," I retorted.

"Which leads to the number one question as to why you did not inform PHPA of this situation," Lance said sternly.

I laughed, "You would have botched the whole thing and got everyone killed. Besides, they called you nine months ago for protective services which you didn't reply. I think that gives me all the more reason to not involve you."

"You didn't have a right to do that, it was a matter of high security," Lance said annoyed.

"Pfft, I would have asked Drew them to back me up, but I sure wasn't going to have them forced to rat me out to the likes of you," I retorted. "You lost your right to help them when you denied them it. I only told a friend to make that call because when I figured everything out and I knew I couldn't handle it on my own."

Lance looked at me angrily, "Look, I know we have gotten off the wrong foot since way back when, but you need to understand that your way of running PHPA cannot last. You need to reform if you still want to protect everyone," I explained.

"Oh and how do you suppose we are to reform?" Lance challenged.

I sighed, "The champions need to give up their place in running this agency. You cannot run your region and worry about crime at the same time."

"Then who runs PHPA?" Cynthia asked.

"Someone who knows how to run a protection agency and is capable of taking down any crime syndicate, under that person would be a representative and head commander for each region appointed in trust by the champion and the head person of PHPA,"

"Nice idea, but we cannot afford to do that," Lance said firmly. "Trying to uproot the hierarchy of the organization would give our enemies a chance to take us down."

"Whatever, I've said my piece," I muttered before sighing. "Anything else?"

Suddenly the room shook and an alarm started to blare, "What's going on!" Lance shouted into an intercom in front of him.

"_An experimental robot is malfunctioning and causing havoc_," a voice explained in slight panic.

The room then shook again as Drew and I shared a look. We both booked it out and ran toward the commotion.

"Where would it?" I shouted to Drew.

"Probably the battle arena if it escaped the lab," he asked back.

He then ran ahead of me to lead the way. After running down numerous corridors, we finally got to the top of the bleachers to find a thirty foot mecha-type robot destroying whatever was in sight. Scientists ordered their pokemon to attack but nothing was working.

I then noticed Lance and everyone from the conference room had caught up with us, "Why the hell were you trying to build a thirty foot robot?!" I shouted.

He didn't respond as the robot smacked his hand on some of the bleachers nearby.

"Come on Drew, we're gonna have to shut this thing down!" I shouted as I raced toward the field.

"You have a plan?" he shouted in surprise.

"Nope," I shouted back as I earthbent a chunk of the field in the robot's face. "Oi, tin for brains, over here!"

The robot looked at me, "Everyone get out of here, we'll hold it off!" I shouted as I bent another rock at its face."

Scientists began to retreat as Drew caught up to me, "What the hell are you doing?! You can't find it with rock, it's made of freaking steel!" Drew shouted.

"Look out!" I cried as we both jumped out of the way of the robot's arm.

As the robot pulled is arm back, Drew shot an Aura Sphere at it only for it to be deflected off.

"You've got to be kidding, what's it gonna take this thing to shut down, itself," Drew shouted in frustration as we dodged the robot's arm again.

My brain then flashed with a plan, "That's it!" I shouted excitedly as I kissed Drew's cheek before running up the robot's arm. "Come on!"

Drew ran after me after I made it to the shoulder, "Keep it off my back so I can get us inside!" I shouted as I twisted my feet to hold my stance and began to metalbend at the shoulder.

"I've got it, let's go!" I shouted once I finished making a big enough hole.

I hopped into the hole with Drew right behind me, "Now what?" Drew asked.

"We find a way to shut it down," I said. "Most likely the power source."

"Okay, but where is it?" Drew asked.

I took my shoe off and stomped my foot on the ground while closing my eyes in concentration, "There's two parts, the power source and the control system. We split up and take one each."

"Where are they?" Drew asked.

"Head and heart," I said as I quickly slipped my shoe on.

"I'll go to the head, you to go the heart," Drew said before he pulled me close and kissed me.

We then broke off for where we needed to go. When I got to the heart, I pulled out my aura sword from my palm and started slashing at the power source. Once I saw that there was enough damage, I made my way back to the shoulder as I felt the robot start to fall. Drew made his way back and we escaped out of the hole I made. I then created aura wings and held Drew as I guided us to the ground as the robot hit the dirt.

"Well that was fun," I said sarcastically as I let my aura wings fade.

"No kidding," Drew agreed as everyone surrounded us.

"Nice work you two," Clair praised.

"We try," I said still catching my breath.

As the scientists took care of the robot, Lance had Drew explain how we took it out while Clair and I chatted about what happened.

"Think about it," Clair said as I called out Gardevoir to teleport us to school.

"I knew that I would be facing some tough stuff when I got back, but this is ridiculous," I whined as I returned Gardevoir.

Drew pulled me into a side hug as we made our way to the school building and kissed my temple, "We'll live."

"I wanted a quiet day with you and so far today has been far from it," I complained.

Drew laughed, "At least we can still spend the day together rather than not," he pointed out.

"True," I agreed as I kissed him.

As we walked the halls, we noticed that it was oddly quiet, "It is way too quiet," I murmured.

"Let's see if Steven is in his office," Drew said as we continued our way there.

We walked into the main office to find the secretary gone.

"I swear I'm going to scream if I have to fight anyone else today," I muttered in annoyance.

We knocked on Steven's door and heard him say to come in.

"Ah! Nice to see some familiar faces," he said with a smile.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Let's say some freshmen played a prank that stunk up half the building at some point last night so I cancelled class," Steven explained with a sigh before giving us a small grin. "At least this gives us the opportunity to meet with your teachers and figure out what to do with you."

"Huh? You still want me back?" I asked surprised.

"If you explain why you didn't come back," he said as he called our teachers to come to the conference room.

After he finished making calls, we walked to the conference room to find Solidad, Mrs. Burch, Mr. Little, and Ms. Hiller.

"Glad to see you both in one piece," Solidad teased as the three of us took a seat.

"May, could you explain why you didn't return on time for the challenge?" Mr. Little asked.

I took a deep breath and gave a brief explanation as to why I didn't come back and why I didn't explain earlier. Drew then gave a brief explanation as to why he disappeared to.

The teachers and Solidad nodded in understanding and smiled, "I think it's safe to say that you are welcomed back May, but the both of you have a lot to catch up on," Solidad warned.

"We'll email you all the work and tests you missed," Mrs. Burch told Drew.

"And all of it has to be completed in two weeks," Ms. Hiller warned.

Drew nodded in understanding as everyone looked at me, "You're another story May, you've missed a month of school work so I think the best way for you to catch up is a major project and a big paper," Solidad explained.

The other teachers nodded in agreement, "For your literature paper, you have to do an in-depth paper comparing and contrasting the two books we read in class," Mr. Little decided.

"As for you major project, we'll give you the topics we covered in class and you can decide what you want to do," Mrs. Burch decided.

"You can do a write a proposal for your project and run it past us no later than Wednesday," Ms. Hiller added.

I nodded in understanding, "Good, as for your independent study with Nurse Joy….." Steven started to say.

"Actually, I have a substitute for that. Nurse Joy in Petalburg City wants to take me under her wing and teach me a few things. Can I switch my independent study to her?" I asked.

"That'll be fine, she just has to turn grades and such over to the Nurse Joy here," Steven agreed.

"Thanks," I said relived knowing that everything was figured out.

"Now that that's all settled, we'll let you go and move back in," Solidad said with a smile.

"Thanks," I said again as Drew and I left and headed for the house.

"I'm glad all that worked out, but I'm sure we are going to be knee deep in homework for a while," I said with a sigh.

"Let's see what everyone's up to and then get lunch," Drew proposed.

"Sounds good to me, I'm starving," I agreed as we entered the house to find Leaf, Misty, Ash, and Gary playing Call of War with Dawn and Paul watching on the sides.

"Hey! We figured we wouldn't see you at all," Dawn said as the game was paused.

"We decided to stop by after meeting with Steven," I said as I smelled take out from the kitchen.

"Help yourself, there's a bunch left," Leaf said as if she read my mind.

"So what happened, you look a bit beat up for going to PHPA and then seeing Steven?" Ash asked.

"Today has been a lot crazier that we would have liked it," I said as Drew and I brought our food over so we could eat and talk.

"What happened?" Misty asked.

"Well, first we stumble on the bungalow being burglarized and then we had to stop a thirty foot rampaging mecha-robot at PHPA," I explained causing surprised looks.

"Wow, that's rough. Was anything taken?" Gary asked.

I shook my head, "They had my jewelry and laptop in a pile and completely busted the lock on the front door, but nothing made it out of the house. Still was a pain in the ass though," I muttered.

"What happened with the robot?" Paul asked.

"The robot got out of control so May metalbent a hole in the shoulder so we could get inside and shut it down," Drew explained.

"Guess the next question is why does PHPA have a thirty foot robot?" Dawn asked.

"That's what I would like to know, all Clair told me was that it was a project for something," I explained.

"So what did Steven say?" Misty asked.

"I'm welcomed back," I said with a smile causing the girls to cheer, "though we both have a lot of work to check up on."

"Which we will do tomorrow," Drew added as he took my empty plate and got up to throw both in the garbage.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Dawn asked.

"We're gonna train with our pokemon for a while since we've kind of neglected them. We'll be back this evening. See ya guys," I called.

"See ya," they called as Drew and I left the house.

I then called out Gardevoir and had her teleport us to the bungalow. Max then showed me what he was doing for the security system before he began to work on it. While he did that, Drew and I trained with our pokemon both separately and together. I then changed into looser fitting clothes before training with Lucario and Blaziken.

"Good job you two, you've done well since I've been away," I praised as I bowed to them after we finished sparring.

They bowed back before they walked off and I took a drink of water, "Hey May, I just finished installing everything so you should be good to go," Max called from the porch.

"K, thanks Max," I called before he teleported back to Petalburg.

"Hey May, how are you able to create your aura sword?" Drew asked.

"It took a while because it takes a bit of concentration to create its form, but it got easier the more I did it. I also have been practicing with a bow and arrow, a hand gun, and a rifle," I explained.

Drew looked at me surprised, "How does a gun work?" he asked.

I created a ball of aura before forming it into a hand gun and shooting it at a nearby tree, "It works like an arrow by shooting my aura."

"When you use your weapons on someone, does it cause physical damage?" Drew asked.

I shook my head, "I don't think so, I've never used it on a person before so I wouldn't know. I think if it does hit someone, it causes the pain an actual hit would be like, but there would be no physical damage."

Drew nodded in understanding, "Do you want me to train you so you can do it?" I asked.

Drew sighed as he looked off at the ocean.

I put my hand on the side of his face so he would look at me, "Babe, there's no shame in asking me to train you. You're much of aura guardian as I am and you deserve to learn what I've been learning," I said gently as I kissed him. "Who knows, you might actually surpass me."

Drew laughed, "I highly doubt that."

"On the contrary, a lot of students surpass their masters," I pointed out as I walked a few feet away. "The best way to start is to create a ball of aura in your hand and then image what you want your weapon to look like. The more you do it, the easier you can create it."

I then did what I just said to demonstrate. I watched as Drew created a ball of aura and closed his eyes in concentration. I looked in surprise to see that he was able to create a sword on his first try.

"See you've already surpassed me," I teased as he picked up his sword in surprise.

"Though it's another thing to use it, en garde!" I shouted as I quickly formed my own sword to strike at him.

He quickly parried me and we soon started to sword fight for a while. When I parried Drew for the umpteenth time, he somehow got a hold of my free hand and spun me into him causing me to drop my sword.

"Seems like I win," he teased as let his sword fade away.

"I guess you have," I agreed. "What do you want as a reward?"

Drew smirked before he kissed me which lead to us making out and maybe a few love bites. After showering and changing, we went out to eat at a fancy place in Lilycove. The both of us had a great time and decided to end the day by walking on the beach.

"I still can't believe you were able to get reservations for us there," I said still in slight disbelief.

"I have my ways," Drew teased as we kissed.

He then pulled a small box with a bow out of his suit pocket, "You didn't have to get me anything," I said as I pulled out a small box with a bow as well out of my dress pocket.

"I could say the same for you," Drew retorted with a smirk as he opened the box.

He looked at it surprised, "I noticed that your dad has one and figured you'd look pretty dapper if you had one of your own," I explained as Drew brushed his fingers over the rose engraving on the pocket watch.

"Thanks May," Drew said earnestly as I opened my gift to find a locket engraved with treble and bass clef heart with a rose in the middle.

"Oh my Mew," I said in awe.

"Read the back," Drew said as I gently pulled the locket out.

"My love, my life, my forever," I murmured as I felt tears gather in my eyes. "Thank you."

I then hugged him before giving him the locket, "Could you help me put it on?"

Drew nodded as I turned around. After I saw the locket put in front of me, I moved my hair out of the way as he clasped it behind.

"Happy Anniversary," Drew murmured as I turned around and placed my hands around him.

"Happy Anniversary," I murmured back before we kissed.

We then walked hand in hand back to the house.


	25. Revenge Comes in Many Forms

**_November 7th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Leaf's POV)

"Come on dude, we need your help if we want to get that bonus first," I heard Ash complain through my open door as I finished the rest of my homework.

"Ash as I have said a million times before, I can't game. I still have homework to catch up on," Drew said tiredly from within his bedroom.

"Normally we would let you slide and skip out, but dude, it's a five hundred thousand gold bonus if we get that rare item and sell it," Gary argued.

"Can't, sorry," Drew said causing Ash to sigh loudly as Dawn and I walked into the hallway.

"This sucks, who are we going to get to take Drew's place in our party. We need at least four people," Ash whined.

"You heard Drew, he's busy so we'll do it on our own," Paul said gruffly.

"Maybe we can get Max," Ash said excited at the thought.

"Can't, he's helping May since Nurse Joy isn't feeling good," Dawn said.

"Crap," Gary muttered.

"Seriously," Ash complained. "Why did he have to be busy today of all days."

"He's busy with good reason," I said with a slight frown.

"Right, sorry. It's just that we have been striking out the last few times when we've tried to get the bonuses that have appeared in the game. These few assholes keep getting them first," Ash explained angrily with Gary and Paul frowning in agreement.

Dawn and I shared a look. The game the guys were referring to was an online game called Sword of Destiny. It's been out for ages, but no one really played it. Up until a few days before Drew left to find May, the company did a complete redo for the game that got the guys hooked. After the scare of the girls and I almost dying, all the guy's free time was used to play the game. The girls and I let them game with no problem at first, but then after a week, it was like we were invisible to them. So in revenge for being ignored, the three of us began to play in secret to level up like crazy.

After the events at the Galin Kingdom, the guys continued to game while May and Drew were in their own world of themselves and homework. The girls and I forgave May and Drew in them being so busy that they didn't interact with us, but we got pissed at the guys as they fell back into their old routine. So last week, we started to play late in the night to get the bonuses before the guys could. Luckily we did a quest that got us a potion to disguise ourselves as the opposite gender so the guys thought their main rivals were a bunch of guys. Ha!

"Hmm, maybe one of the girls could fill in for us," Ash mused in thought.

"Can't, I'm off to visit Maylene and Misty is busy proofreading May's Lit essay. How she was able to write a ten page comparison on those two books we read last month astounds me to no end," Dawn interjected as said as she looked at her poketch. "Shoot I'm late! See ya later!"

She then ran outside to find Gardevoir to teleport her to Veilstone City.

"I'd be willing to fill in," I said deciding to try and be helpful.

"We appreciate the offer Leafy, but I think it would be a little difficult for you to fill in for Drew," Gary said as if he were trying to pacify a baby.

I raised an eyebrow, "You sayin' I can't play as good as you guys," I challenged.

Gary sighed, "Babe, it's nothing personal. It's just that this game is a lot more different than Call of Duty and Zombie Wars."

I mentally sighed, prepare for an ass kicking babe.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Whatev's, thought I'd asked," I said nonchalantly as I walked to Misty's door and knocked before letting myself in.

"You okay?" Misty asked looking up from May's essay.

"I'm fine, just pissed off," I grumbled.

"I heard the conversation, looks like the guys are as clueless as ever," Misty chuckled as she looked down at May's essay.

I chuckled, "You'd think they would ask Max to investigate us by figuring out we're on the same server as them."

"Thankfully, they are too busy strategizing and complaining," Misty said as she thumped the pages of May's paper on her desk to straighten them out.

"I better start scouting ahead in finding the item," I mused. "Though it would be easier if Dawn did it, she's the one with the powers of light and darkness."

Misty laughed, "I find it ironic she was assigned powers that match her contrasting personality traits. When they said that their survey identifies the perfect match of powers and skills for you, they sure weren't kidding."

I laughed and nodded in agreement, "I wonder what May would get if she took the test?"

"If I took what test?" said girl asked as she walked in.

"Shoot! Was anyone out in the hall listening?" I asked in slight panic.

May shook her head and raised an eyebrow, "Wanna clue me in as to why you look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?"

I walked past May and stuck my head out into the hall to make sure no one was out before quietly shutting the door and locking it.

"We're in the middle of a revenge scheme," I explained.

"Ooo, fill me in," May demanded sounding interested as she sat on Misty's bed.

I walked around to the other side and sat down while Misty turned her desk chair to face us.

"Have you noticed the guys have been distracted lately?" Misty asked.

May nodded, "Do you remember the online game Sword of Destiny?" I asked.

May nodded again, "Max played it for a while, but complained that it wasn't really intriguing."

I nodded, "So while you were gone, but before Drew left, Conway told the guys that they redid the game and that it was awesome."

"So the guys decided to give it another shot and got hooked," Misty continued. "After the scare of us getting sick, the guys went back to gaming. We let them be for about a week, but then they started to basically ignore us completely."

"So we decided to get back at them by playing the game ourselves and leveling up higher than they could," I explained. "Then we had to help out with what happened in the Galin Kingdom giving them a break from the game as well as focusing some attention to us."

"Then they fell back into old routines?" May guessed.

I nodded, "So we're been playing our asses off to get all those bonuses before they could."

"That's why you've been so tired," May exclaimed in realization. "You've been staying up gaming."

Misty and I nodded, "Thankfully, this has been easier to pull off since we've haven't had to do missions. We never would have been able to pull this off if we did," I explained.

"When I got to your door, I heard you two talking about me taking a test. Does it have to do with the game?" May asked.

Misty and I nodded again, "The survey/test is something you take to help the game complete your avatar and give you skills and powers that match your personality," Misty explained.

"So what powers and skills do you have?" May asked in interest.

"I'm a wizard and a healer with some long range fighting skills," I explained. "My power specialty is earth."

"I'm a sword's woman with some healing skills," Misty described. "My power specialty is water."

"Big shocker there," I said sarcastically with a grin.

"What about Dawn?" May asked.

"She's an assassin with fighting skills both in long range and up close with some wizard skills. Her power specialty is a dual type between light and darkness," Misty explained.

May looked impressed, "Wow, that survey really does pick the best skills and powers that match your personality.

"That's why I said I was curious as to what you would get if you took the test," I explained.

"What about the guys?" May asked.

"Ash a fighter with some wizard powers, but he doesn't use them. Mostly because he can't remember the spells," Misty said causing May to sweatdrop. "Ash has the power of fire."

"Though he's recently been able to pick up some skills with lightning," I added.

May nodded, "Makes sense since lightning is a derivative of fire."

"Gary has powers in wizardry with some fighting skills at close range. His power is similar to psychic type abilities. It's different in a sense as his power just makes him a smart ass know-it-all," Misty muttered causing May to again sweatdrop.

"Paul has the same abilities as Ash and Dawn, but he is more in the middle between the definitions of their abilities," I explained.

"So he has fighting abilities and wizardry skills," May clarified.

"Except his levels are different, he can fight better than Dawn by a small margin with his long range skills and he has better knowledge at spells than Ash, but not as good as Gary or me," I explained. His power is darkness.

May nodded, "What about Drew?"

"He's a fighter and a healer with some skills in wizardry and his power is earth. Huh, you could say he's a similar version to what we think you are," Misty said in slight amusement.

"Huh, now I'm curious as to what I might be, but I don't have time to find out. I still am working on catching up with my homework and helping out at the Petalburg Pokemon Center," May said tiredly.

"Well, at least you have your paper done," Misty said as she handed it to May. "There are a few grammatical bits to tweak, but otherwise it looks good to me."

May sighed as she took her paper and briefly skimmed Misty's marks, "Thank Mew, at least I have this done. I was worried that I didn't write a good enough paper."

"Not a good enough paper my ass. You compared and contrasted the books perfectly. No doubt you'll impress Mr. Little big time," Misty stated firmly with a nod of her head.

"What's the status with your other project?" I asked.

"It's going great, I just finished it before I got back so I just need to type up the report tonight and make copies for both Ms. Hiller and Mrs. Burch," May said relieved.

"Yea! Maybe you could join us in the battle of revenge," I said excitedly.

May laughed, "Not tonight though. I'm so close to being done that I don't want to stop. Maybe I'll take the survey tomorrow."

She then got up to go to her room and finish her project and paper, "I bet she gets equal skill in fighting, healing, and wizardry," Misty guessed.

"She would have a higher level in fighting and healing though," I pointed out.

"What about her power? She's had experience with all the elements, not to mention she has a mixed personality that matches to all of them," Misty wondered.

"Again she's stronger in some areas more than others," I said as I shrugged my shoulders. "We'll see when she takes the test."

Misty laughed, "Watch her wind up being a warrior goddess."

"Ha!" I laughed, "That probably will happen."

"Speaking of the game, we better get going and start scouting," Misty reminded.

"Do you want to stalk the guys or do you want to scout ahead?" I asked.

"You stalk the guys, I'll scout ahead since my fighting skills are more leveled up than yours. We don't know what kind of monsters lurk where this bonus is," Misty pointed out.

I nodded before going into my room. I got my laptop and headset before logging in. I also brought up a website that had daily newsfeed about the game. After logging in, I checked the status of my avatar to find that my opposite gender disguise potion was running low.

"Better make this quick," I muttered.

I then teleported myself to the town where the guys were located. After finding a good spot that gave me cover, I summoned a snitch to fly near them and listen in.

While I listened to their conversation, I decided to make the gaming window half its size and research some more spells that I could practice in the future.

While doing so for about an hour, I noticed a message being posted on the gaming newsfeed. _"The bonus set for this evening is corrupt. If you attempt to gain it, a virus will attack your computer. The bonus will be terminated no later than 7:00 AM. Do not attempt to obtain the bonus"_.

"Shit!" I hissed as I maximized my gaming window and woke you my half asleep avatar.

I then brought up buddy list to start a chat window with Misty.

"**Misty are you there**?" I typed hurriedly.

"**Yea, what's up**?" she asked.

"**Where are you**?" I asked.

"**Near the Glark Forest, I'm pretty sure that's where tonight's bonus is**," she reported.

"**Okay, now get out of there!**" I typed.

"**Why?**" Misty replied.

"Oh!" I muttered as I grabbed my computer and went into her bedroom.

"What's up? You look agitated," she said with a slight frown.

"With good reason," I muttered as I showed Misty the message from the company that ran the game.

"That's not good," Misty muttered as she looked at me after reading it.

"Wanna bet the guys are going to ignore the message," I muttered.

I then heard a knock on the door. I quickly unplugged my headset and stashed it under one of Misty's pillows while shutting my laptop.

"Yea," I said trying to keep my voice calm.

"Dinner's ready," May announced.

"Thanks May," Misty called.

We then heard May walk downstairs, "What the hell do we do now?" Misty hissed.

"I don't know, those idiots are going to be screwed over if they don't listen," I snapped back in worry.

"Let's go see if we can convince them otherwise," Misty decided as we went downstairs.

The both of us went downstairs to find May and Drew putting bowls of spaghetti and noodles on the table as well as garlic bread and salad.

I heard a slight whoosh to find Dawn had teleported back, "Hey guys, did I make it back in time?" she asked.

"Perfect timing," May chirped as we sat down.

Ash tried to get food first but Misty slapped his hand away, "Aw come on Mist," he whined.

"Let everyone else dish up first to make sure there is enough before you eat everything," she scolded.

"How's Maylene?" I asked.

"She's doing okay, she's still trying to get over the morning sickness," Dawn said sympathetically. "She's also had to cut her time at the gym in half."

"Has she had any cravings lately?" May asked.

"Pickles seem to be it this week which is driving poor Reggie bonkers," Dawn giggled before taking a sip of her water. "So did you have any luck with finding the bonus?"

I could have kissed Dawn for bringing up the topic of the game so nonchalantly.

"We think we found it, but then some stupid message got sent out from the company saying the bonus is corrupt. No matter though, no doubt those annoying idiots won't go after it which means we can snatch it," Ash explained.

Dawn frowned and looked at Paul, "If the company says it's corrupt, why still go for it?"

"We don't think that it's a serious problem. We assume that the company sent that message to scare away the assholes who keep showing us up," Paul explained.

I gave Misty as look a grief that caught Dawn's eye, "Well, good luck with that," she chirped.

"You're going to need it," I muttered under my breath.

After we finished eating and did some training with May who was keeping her promise to teach us what she knew, we got ready for bed.

Once we figured that May was asleep, Dawn and I snuck our way to Misty's room with our laptops and headsets.

"So what was with the look at dinner?" Dawn asked.

"The company said that those who try to obtain the bonus tonight will have a virus unleashed on their computer and apparently the guys think it's a hoax," I muttered.

"So what do we do then?" Dawn asked.

"We save their sorry asses," Misty muttered as we logged in.

Dawn yawned, "After tonight, I think we should take a break from the game. We're losing a lot of beauty sleep because of this."

"Fine," I agreed as I looked at the clock to see that it was 10:40PM.

"So even if we do find the guys fighting the monster, how do we all get away with leaving the monster as is and not getting the virus?" Dawn asked.

I opened my mouth then shut it, "Damn it, how are we going to do it?"

Misty pulled out her compowder and pressed some buttons, "Dawn, start tracking the guy's progress," Misty ordered as we heard dialing until someone picked up.

"_You do know what time it is right_?" Max said sleepily with a yawn.

"We know, but we have a problem. The guys are playing Sword of Destiny with the intention of going after something called a bonus," Misty explained trying to sound like she knew very little than what she actually did.

"_How do you know about the bonus_?" Max asked.

"Because we overheard them talking about it," Misty explained as she raised her hand to stop me from talking.

I nodded as I understood why she stopped me. She wanted to make it seem like she was only doing it and that Dawn and I weren't involved.

"_Don't they know that the bonus has a virus_?" Max asked a little more awake.

"They said something about it being corrupt, but I'm worried that they might still go for it. Is there any way to make sure the virus doesn't infiltrate their computers?" Misty asked.

"_There's no guarantee, but I could try to hack your server and put up a stronger firewall. So long as they don't get the boss's life bar to go under half_," Max explained. "_I guess I better get on and stop them_."

"No it's fine Max, I'll go convince them to stop," Misty promised.

"_You sure_?" he asked.

Misty nodded, "I'll thrash 'em if they don't."

"_Okay, I just put up the firewall. Night Misty_," he said with a yawn before hanging up.

"You gonna go convince them to stop?" I asked teasingly.

Misty gave me a 'are-you-serious' look, "Are you kidding me? It's like asking Ash not to eat, it's not possible," she muttered.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"We kill them before they kill the monster," Dawn decided.

"Again what's the plan?" I asked in a serious one.

Dawn frowned at me, "I told you, we kill them before they kill the monster."

"We can't do that, our disguise potion is almost used up and then our cover is blown," I snapped.

"Do you have a better idea," she snapped back.

"Girls stop. We'll go through with Dawn's plan, but we'll have to attack from the shadows," Misty decided.

"What about after we kill them? The flames of their avatar's life force will still be on screen for at least a minute giving them view of us because once they are gone the beast will find us and start attacking us," I argued.

"You're the master wizard, don't you have a spell or something that forces them to teleport and stay put," Dawn retorted.

I opened my mouth to argue but paused as I got an idea, "Wait a minute? Dawn that's it!"

Misty clamped a hand over my mouth, "Want to blow our cover?" Misty hissed as she removed her hand.

"Sorry, my bad," I muttered as I pulled up the website of spells. "There's a spell that forces a target to teleport and stay in one spot, but the time it lasts depends on the caster's magic level."

"What's the minimum amount of time?" Dawn asked.

"Four hours," I said, "But I haven't performed this spell before so there's a chance it could backfire and blow our cover. Not to mention that the spell is one of the illegal ones."

"Illegal?" Misty asked bluntly.

"A way to cheat," I explained.

"Who cares, we're doing it," Dawn said firmly. "We better get ready, they are on the edge of the location."

I nodded as I slipped on my headset and began to practice speaking the incantation as we followed the guys.

"We should start attacking them now before they attack the monster," Misty pointed out.

"No, then their full attention will be on us. We'll slip attacks in as they attack the monster," Dawn answered.

"I have a strong enough invisibility spell that can get you close to the guys to attack," I told Misty.

She nodded as we watched the guys start to attack the monster. Gary kept chanting spells to attack as well as supporting Ash and Paul while they attacked it head on.

"Alright ladies, let's do this," I said before I chanted the invisibility spell to cover Misty while Dawn began dodging in and out of the forest throwing knives to hit the guys when the monster attacked.

Our guerilla tactics were working pretty well until the monster looked in the direction of where Misty was hiding.

It then threw an attack that would've hit her if she dodged.

"Why's the monster attacking over there?" Ash shouted in-game.

"Because those assholes are hiding and letting us do all the work," Paul shouted as he dodged the monster.

"Crap," I muttered in frustration.

"What do we do now," Dawn asked hurriedly as she continued to attack the guys when the monster did though the guys began to sense what was going on and she couldn't hit them all the time.

Gary then began to chant a spell to uncover anything invisible.

"Shit!" Misty shouted in a whisper as I began to chant even faster to attack Gary before he could finish the spell.

Thankfully it worked as Gary was blasted by the attack as well as the backfire of his spell not being completed.

"Here's the plan, Misty, Dawn, attack the guys so that they crash into Gary. Then I'll blast them with a high level spell. Dawn, you'll have to help me by supporting my magic for the attack and the teleportation," I ordered.

"On it," she said as she and Misty hit Ash and Paul with close up attacks that made them crash into Gary.

"I'm ready," Dawn said as the monster prepared to give off a powerful attack as the guys tried to reconfigure themselves.

I chanted the spell and unleashed it as the monsters unleased its attack. With both attacks, it destroyed the last of the guys' HP causing their avatars to disintegrate into flames.

"What the fuck!" we heard the guys shout from the guy's side of the hall.

"Wanna bet we pissed them off?" Misty asked as she winced at the loudness of the shout as I began to chant the illegal teleportation spell.

The guy's flames then teleported away to somewhere else causing another outburst from the guy's side of the hallway.

"At this rate, they're gonna wake the dead," I muttered.

"They're also gonna be seething tomorrow," Dawn winced before she chanted the teleportation spell for us so that we were far from the monster as possible as well as in hiding as our potion was used up and our avatars regular appearance showed up.

"At least that nightmare is over," Misty yawned as we shut down our laptops and looked at the clock to see that it was almost midnight.

"I hope the guys' didn't wake Drew and May. They really need their sleep especially since they have been stressed about playing catchup," I said sympathetically.

Misty and Dawn nodded as Dawn and I stood up to leave. We said good night and snuck our way back to our own rooms.

After all the excitement, I wanted to fall asleep, but unfortunately my mind was still awake making it impossible for me to do so. I was still trying to fall asleep a few hours later when I heard a slight scream. I sat straight up and heard it again. It sounded like May so I went to her room. I walked in to find her tossing and turning while moaning/shouting in her sleep.

"May, wake up!" I said worried as I tried to shake her awake.

She screamed again a little louder, "May!" I shouted louder as I shook her a little harder.

I then heard footsteps behind me, "What's going on?" Misty asked as Dawn came in behind her.

"May's having a nightmare," I said slightly panicking as I continued to try and shake May awake.

"NO!" she screamed as she sat up awake breathing heavily.

"May, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.

We didn't get an answer as May bolted from her room.

"May!" Dawn cried as we chased after her.

She ran all the way to command central downstairs and began to type at a feverish rate. She connected to the GPS satellite and entered Petalburg Pokemon Center in the search bar. A file opened to show current video footage of the Pokemon Center in flames.

"Oh my…." Dawn gasped but didn't finish as May bolted from the room.

"Misty and Dawn raced after her while I went to Gary's room and shook him awake.

"What the….Leafy?!" Gary asked still half asleep.

"Get up! We have a situation!" I shouted as I tossed him his belt with his pokeballs attached. "Wake up Ash and Paul!"

I ran out of the room and shook Drew awake while throwing his belt with his pokeballs attached.

"May, stop it!" Dawn shouted as she tried to get May to calm down.

"What's going on?" Gary asked as the guys came into the hallway while Dawn tossed me my pokeballs.

"Gardevoir, use teleport!" May shouted frantically.

Soon we were teleported a couple yards away from the Pokemon Center as flames engulfed the building.

All of us stood in horror as firefighters and pokemon tried to fight the fire. May took a step forward but was hugged from behind by Drew.

"Let me go!" May cried.

"May, I'm not letting you go in there!" Drew shouted as May struggled to get out of Drew's grip.

"I have to, Max is still in there!" she shouted.

She then broke free of Drew's hold and ran toward the fire as Drew shouted at her to come back.

"Let her go, we can't do anything to stop her in the state she's in," I said worried.

* * *

(May's POV)

I dodged everyone and everything as I ran into the building, "Max!" I shouted.

I heard nothing but the roar of the flames and the groan of the building, "Max!" I shouted again before using my aura to find him as well as anyone else.

There were some trainers still upstairs where the fire was spreading to while Max and Nurse Joy were near where the pokemon were kept.

"_Drew, use Flygon to help trainers escape from the upper levels_," I quickly told him telepathically before cutting the connection as I ran towards Max.

"May?! What are you doing here?" he coughed as he held a sack of pokeballs.

"Doesn't matter, are there anymore pokemon?" I asked.

"No, but Nurse Joy is still inside," Max coughed.

"Go outside, I'll find her," I shouted as I heard the building creak.

Max ran outside as I went to find Nurse Joy. I found her trying to free her foot from a beam that had it pinned down.

"May, what are you doing here?" she coughed weakly.

I didn't say anything as I helped try to lift the beam off her, but it wouldn't budge.

As the fire and smoke got worse, the building began to moan. The beam suddenly seemed easier to move and I saw that it was Max helping push it up. We were finally able to help Nurse Joy out as the building shook.

"Come on!" I screamed/coughed as I could sense the foundation of the building ready to cave in.

Max and I then helped support her as the three of us walked fast to try and make it out.

We then heard more creaking, "I love you both!" Nurse Joy shouted as Max and I were suddenly pushed out of the way while we heard a thud.

We turned back to see that a beam had fallen on Nurse Joy causing her head to crack open.

"JOY!" we screamed.

We heard no time to react as the building gave way and everything start to fall. Max and I ran for our lives and dived out of the building as it collapsed. I coughed from the smoke as the horror sank in as to what we just witnessed.

"NO!" Max shouted as we sat up.

He tried to go back in, but I dragged him away from the building and hugged him tightly as he started to cry.

I then brought us to the ground as Max sobbed/coughed into my chest while tears ran down my face slightly.

Suddenly over the police loud speaker system came a distorted voice, "_You may have defeated me long ago, but I still get the last laugh_."

Suddenly we heard a series of explosions somewhere in the distance behind us, "Someone find out where that came from!" Officer Jenny shouted.

I tuned everything out as people shouted over the roar of the fire while I telepathically summoned Gardevoir to my side, "Teleport us to the place I'm thinking of," I said emotionlessly.

She said nothing, but did as I told causing us to arrive in front my childhood home to find it destroyed and on fire with the gym and greenhouse being the same way. Memories from all those years ago flooded in my mind as I remembered staring at my home on fire that night. Suddenly I felt numb, I couldn't feel anything. Not utter sadness or absolute fury, I just felt nothing.

I then felt Max relax in my arms as he fell asleep from crying and exhaustion. I then cradled him closer as a melody came into my head.

"Just close your eyes, the sun in goin' down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound," I sang softly as I closed my eyes and listened to the crackling of the flames.


	26. Grieving

**_November 10th (Rosewall Town, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

I turned over to my side as sleep continued to elude me. My mind just did not want to shut down. It was too busy replaying the events from a few days ago.

After teleporting to our burning childhood home, I had Gardevoir teleport us back to the burned down Pokemon Center because I knew that Drew and everyone else would be filled with worry. As Drew took Max from me to the paramedics to have him checked over, I noticed that all the pokemon in Nurse Joy's care needed a place to care for them. For the remainder of the night, I made calls all over Hoenn to make sure that the pokemon got the care they needed. I also made arrangements for the trainers to stay at the nearby hotels so they weren't without a place to sleep.

Once I started doing that, my mind just kept rolling with trying to figure things out. There was supposed to be a contest held here this weekend and it would be impossible to do so since the Pokemon Center no longer existed. When I tried to figure out what to do, Drew had to call out Butterfree to use Sleep Powder to knock me out. When I came to, I discovered that I was back at school and that classes began in five minutes. I noticed a note from Drew saying that Max was taken to the hospital to play it safe since he inhaled quite a bit of smoke from the fire and that the school was okay with me skipping classes. I crumbled it into a ball and quickly changed before I teleported myself to the girl's bathroom that was near the classroom. Drew was surprised that I showed up and asked why I did. I explained that I missed enough school and that I couldn't miss anymore. Before he could say anything more Mrs. Burch came in and began to lecture.

After class, I teleported back to the house and found Gardevoir. I grabbed my laptop and a couple days' worth of clothes before having her teleport them to the bungalow while I went to the Petalburg Hospital. For the rest of my free time, Max was discharged and the both of us went to the bungalow. When we got there, I noticed a few shopping bags with a note from Dawn saying she got a few things for Max.

Max ignored the stuff and went to sit outside while Drew suddenly appeared looking worried. He then hugged me and told me he was worried that I disappeared after class. I explained that I went to check on Max. I told him I was worried because I could feel the grief and anger rolling off him in waves. He then asked me how I felt and I told him that I felt drained and empty. Without another word, I went to work. I took Max's stuff upstairs before I got on my laptop and began to try and organize things for the contest. At some point while I was working on making arrangements, Lizzy showed up out of the blue. She gave me her condolences while giving me a hug. I could tell she was worried about me and Max as Drew was.

I gave her the task of keeping an eye on Max since I was busy and I wasn't the best person to comfort him since I was emotionally numb. After a while, I went back for class with Drew while Lizzy held down the fort. After school, I went back to the bungalow and picked up where I left off. Eventually, both Drew and Lizzy pleaded for me to go to bed and decided it would be best if they stayed the night to keep an eye on both of us. Since Max got one of the guest rooms, Lizzy got the other leaving Drew to sleep with me. Even with him there I couldn't sleep, it just wouldn't come. The next day was pretty much the same.

As yesterday faded from my mind and I turned over in bed for the hundred thousandth time, I decided to just get up even though it was 5:30 in the morning. I gently undid myself out of Drew's hold and slipped out of my room. I grabbed a nearby sweatshirt and snuck my way downstairs onto the porch in the back. As I sat on the outside sofa, I took in the early morning. It seemed bitter sweet and ironic for a beautiful day since today was the funeral. After attending classes for two days even though I didn't have to, the teachers made me take off today so that I could attend the funeral without worry.

I heard footsteps and someone sitting next to me before they draped an arm around my shoulders and I placed my head on their shoulder.

"I couldn't sleep," I said breaking the silence.

"I figured as much," Drew murmured. "You haven't been able to sleep at all, have you?"

I sighed, "The only sleep I get is with Butterfree's Sleep Powder."

"You should have said something, I could have given you some," Drew said gently.

I shook my head, "Why are you up?"

He shrugged his shoulders, but I knew the answer. If I couldn't sleep, Drew most likely wouldn't sleep because he was worried about me.

"You shouldn't lose sleep on account of me," I muttered.

"What makes you think that, I could just not be tired," Drew pointed out.

"But I know you," I said as I snuggled more into him. "You're too worried about me to sleep."

"You sure about that?" Drew asked.

I looked up at him in annoyance to find him smirking, "Jerk," I muttered as I snuggled back into his side.

I felt him chuckle, "That's the May I know," he murmured lovingly as I felt him kiss my head.

I sighed, "I just wish I knew me."

I felt Drew shift slightly as he waited for me to continue, "I just…..ugh, I just don't feel anything. I know I should be angry and sad, but I just…I don't know what to feel," I murmured. "But you already knew that."

"I guess you could say that," he agreed solemnly. "I can sense you don't have an easy connection to your emotions associated with grief, but I do know that you're worried about Max and that you love me."

"Oh?" I asked as I sat up and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's makes you think I love you?"

"Haha, funny," Drew said sarcastically as I gave a tiny smile causing him to smile back before kissing me.

"You'll be able to function emotionally at some point, it just takes time," Drew said as he brushed some hair behind my ear.

"And my guess is that you want to be around when I explode," I murmured as I looked down at my lap.

"I won't deny that," Drew admitted.

"I appreciate the gesture, but that doesn't mean you have to be by my side 24/7," I pointed out.

"Too bad, you're stuck with me," Drew teased as he kissed me before pulling me back into his side as the sun started to appear.

"Well, you'll just have to take a break for classes later," I reminded.

"Not quite, Steven excused me from classes," Drew answered smugly. "So you're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"How'd you manage that? I asked slightly surprised.

"I explained that you were taking this hard and that you weren't able to grieve so I wanted to be by your side and give you support," he explained.

"So you're my stable rock," I mused causing him to nod in agreement.

I then smirked slightly, "Eh…more like a moss covered, stable rock," I murmured.

Drew shook his head while I gave a slight chuckle at my joke. We then sat in silence as we watched the sunrise. After Max and Lizzy got up, we teleported to the cemetery in Petalburg where the burial would be held.

Afterwards, the luncheon was held at a nearby park that Nurse Joy loved to go to. The rest of the gang appeared slightly late due to classes.

"We've tried to find the asshole responsible for what happened, but we don't know where to start looking," Ash reported.

I sighed, "It's probably best to leave it. There are too many people who hold a grudge against me and Max to figure out who did it."

"Cousin May May," I heard from behind.

I looked around to see Annie and Ally rush up to me and hugged me.

"Hi there girls, are you doing okay?" I asked as I knelt down to be at Ally's height.

"I suppose, it's just hard to believe that Auntie Joy is gone," Annie said quietly.

"It's not fair, why did she have to die?!" Ally shouted angrily as tears began to appear.

"There wasn't much that could be done, Max and I found her trapped. We got her unstuck, but when things began to fall down on us, she pushed us out of the way to save us," I explained softly as I picked Ally up. "She was just that kind of person to put people and pokemon above herself."

"Like you?" Ally asked sniffling.

I nodded, "Like me," I murmured as I held her close as she continued to sniffle.

Ally's mother then walked up to me as well as the head Nurse Joy, "We have some things to discuss," Nurse Joy said sternly.

"Ally, go find your sister," Ally's mother said quietly.

I put Ally down and she walked off to a nearby table where her sister was sitting.

"What is it?" I asked knowing that was going to be a difficult conversation.

"I've read the reports of the incident, but I want to hear from you what happened," Nurse Joy said as the three of us walked to the edge of the gathering so that we were alone though Drew and Lizzy followed us at a distance trying to listen in discreetly.

"I rushed in to try and help. I found Max carrying some pokeballs and told him to get out while I went in for Nurse Joy since I could still feel her presence in the building. Her foot was pinned down by a fallen beam. Eventually Max came back and we were able to lift it for her to pull her foot out. We then tried to get out, but the building started to shake from being unstable and debris started to fall. Suddenly Joy told Max and I she loved us both before pushing us out of the way. When we turned to face her, we saw that a fallen beam had split her head open," I recalled bluntly.

I heard a slight gasp, most likely from Lizzy, as I continued to explain, "Max and I then leapt out of there as the building collapsed. Then the mad man made his threat and another bomb went off. I knew that it was our old house and the surrounding buildings," I whispered.

I then crossed my arms and looked over to the nearby sea in the distance, "Tragedy continues to plague me," I murmured.

I then looked at them both and could tell they weren't telling me something, "Something tells me that this isn't what you wanted to talk about," I accused bluntly.

Ally's mother sighed, "It's about Katie," she said using Joy's real first name. "I assuming you could tell she was very sick."

I nodded, "Well, she wasn't just sick. She was…..," she trailed off but I knew what she was saying.

"She was already dying," I muttered.

"She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The doctor told her last month she had about three to five months to live," Nurse Joy explained.

"So no matter what, she would have died," I murmured as I noticed Max running off.

I then froze as it all clicked, the test, the training, "You want me to take over as the Petalburg City Nurse Joy permanently," I accused in slight disbelief. "That's what the test for a couple of weeks ago. You wanted to see if I was knowledgeable and capable enough."

"I won't deny it," Nurse Joy admitted. "We've watched your potential in what you've done. We knew you could do it once you treated the royal family. You're ready."

"I'm sorry, but I don't accept," I said bitterly. "Being a Nurse Joy is not my calling, it never was and Joy would never have pushed me to do so either."

"You have so much potential and you know everything about Petalburg to take over," Ally's mother added.

"I said no. I won't break that tradition. Besides, medicine and doctoring is only a part that I learned to help people. I want to save people in a way a Nurse Joy can't," I explained bluntly. "Anyway, there are new Nurse Joy graduates that need a position. I'm sure one of them will do. Please excuse me."

I then took my leave to look for Max. I found him standing on the edge of the bluff a little ways away.

"So she was going to die anyway," Max said bitterly.

I sighed, "I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't think it was this bad."

Max grunted angrily as he kicked a rock off the edge, "I should've known damn it!" he shouted angrily. "I noticed she was getting worse and that she kept going out constantly for appointments. If I looked into it, I could have done something to save her."

"Max, there is no known cure for what Joy had. She would have died no matter what she tried to use for treatment," I explained calmly.

"I could have found something," he argued.

"Max," I murmured as I tried to pull him into a hug.

"No!" he said as he pushed me away. "You're partly to blame too for everything that's happened. You just up and left without a word making her worry constantly. And nowadays, you never came home anymore."

"You know why. Ever since we started saving people, you knew that it would make me go all over," I argued bluntly.

"No, you took it a step further by always being away. You abandoned us to care for everyone else. You made it so that I had to stay and help Joy," he said angrily.

"That was your own choice. I admit that I wasn't great at seeing you as often, but it was your choice not to leave. Joy and I told you countless times to go out on your journey. You only traveled to a few cities with Ralts and Treecko before coming back. You couldn't break yourself from your computers," I argued getting slightly angry.

"My computers have nothing to do with this!" Max said with a slight shout.

"Max, if you want to take dad's place as the Petalburg Gym leader, you cannot do it from a computer screen," I said bluntly.

"How do you know if I want to do that anymore? For all you know, I could have changed my goal," Max argued.

"Because I know you. You still want to go, but you were afraid of leaving Joy. She was your mother after our parents died. You didn't want to lose her," I pointed out.

"And what about you? Miss always-on-the-go. You're afraid to settle in one place. It's why for the longest of time you stayed alone," Max sneered.

I sighed, "I won't deny that. Death always stalks me and those I care for so your point is valid."

"What about now? Still refusing? Maybe you should take Lizzy's advice and marry Drew already," Max jeered.

"You know why," I muttered glaring at him.

"Because you're too young? Pfft, please. That's an excuse," Max sneered.

I sighed, "Alright fine. That's an excuse."

"Tell me then," he dared.

I sighed again, "Max, I know you're hurt, but is talking about this necessary?"

"I want to know why. I want to know how you were able to continue on because I'm not sure how," Max whispered as tears began to appear.

"Oh Max," I murmured as I pulled him into a hug. "I've never really overcome it, it's just something I live with."

"But still, you made friends and connected to others," he argued.

"Remember it took me years to get out of it. With the help of my pokemon, I was able to achieve being a top coordinator. Through the gang, I was able to connect with them and they helped overcome my fear of getting to close to others. With Drew, let's just say that I would probably be a wreck with everything that's happened if I didn't have him," I said with a slight chuckle.

"So why don't you marry him then. You two already act like you do," he said slightly exasperated.

I gave a slight laugh, "One, he hasn't asked me and I'm not going to force him to do so. Marriage is a big commitment and it's not something to be taken lightly. Two, I'm not in a position to be in that commitment. What I do is chaotic and I've already broken Drew's heart twice. I refuse to do it again," I explained before sighing. "Lastly, I guess that I'm afraid to lose what I gain."

"I understood everything but the last reason," Max said slightly confused. "What do you mean you're afraid to lose what you gain?"

I sighed as I crossed my arms and took a few steps away to look out into the sea, "I would gain what I've wanted ever since I was little. A home and family of my own, but what I've done in the last few years has made it impossible for it to happen. Any villain I've faced could destroy that and I would be shattered beyond recognition. Also if I have any kids, their futures would be jeopardized by my actions. I feel that it isn't safe for me to try and achieve happiness through a family."

Max scoffed, "Drew would tell you right off the bat that that is a load of BS. He would tell that it is still worth the risk because you both would be happy with each other."

I chuckled, "I have no doubt in my mind that is what he would say, but I still can't shake it. It's something that I have to think on and discuss with him."

Max looked out at the sea and sighed, "You know what I want, at least what I want some point in the future, but what do you want?" I asked as I looked at him.

Max said nothing, "After today, our small hero arrangement will be shut down," I said as I looked ahead.

Max turned to face me stunned, "You're what? You can't do that?!" Max shouted.

I sighed, "Max, it is for your own good. You need to travel and see the world. Not stay behind a computer and be my technical support. Besides, I think Joy wanted us to stop, it's time we've moved on to different things."

"So you're giving up saving people?" Max asked skeptically.

"Good heavens no, I'm sure the world will end before I let that happen," I joked before looking at him seriously. "Besides, my fate and circumstances have made it impossible for me to not help others. Hello, I can control the elements and wield aura! Anyway, the point is that you should pursue all that you can before the chance is up. I traveled quite a bit before I started saving people and you deserve that chance too."

"But I don't know where to go?" Max said exasperated.

I smirked slightly, "Johto is nice this time of year and the league just started a month ago. Plus I'm pretty sure if you ask nicely, Lizzy will travel with you."

Max blushed slightly, "You assume things too much," he muttered. "And you still haven't said what you are going to do since you still want to help people."

"You'll learn soon enough," I said causing Max to look at me annoyed.

"Another thing, can I have a laptop?" he asked.

I sighed and shook my head, "Max….."

"No! I need one May," he snapped.

I frowned, "Max, I'm not going to get you one. I know that once you have it you'll look into who is responsible for what happened."

"I don't care, I want to find the SOB who did this," he said angrily.

"Max, it's impossible to find out. Do you know how many people we've put in prison or are still out there?" I asked.

He said nothing, "There are too many suspects and it'll be near to impossible to find the one responsible. So many of them want us dead," I sighed. "It's best if we let PHPA look into things while we try to continue on with our lives. Joy would have wanted it that way."

Max frowned, "I don't agree, but you still won't get me one will you?"

"No, you need a break from technology. You need to look more at the world than a computer screen," I explained firmly. "The only tech you're allowed is a poketch and a pokenav."

"You can't cut me off from a computer," Max muttered.

"No, but I wish you would at least try," I said honestly.

"Fine, but I get to do what I want for my poketch and pokenav," he stated.

"Just don't go over the top," I chuckled.

Max looked at his poketch, "We better get back, people will wonder where we went," he sighed.

"I doubt that's a problem, Drew and Lizzy have been "protectively" watching us for a while," I said as I rolled my eyes while turning around to face their hiding spot.

"We were worried so sue us," Lizzy said with slight sarcasm.

"We're fine, we just needed to talk," I assured her.

"I gonna get some food before they start dividing up the left overs," Max said before he walked back to the gathering.

"May, is it true what you said to that one Nurse Joy? About what happened before the building collapsed?" Lizzy asked quietly.

"Lizzy," Drew reprimanded quietly.

"It's okay Drew," I said before sighing while looking at Lizzy, "Yes, it was a gruesome way to die, but at least it was instantaneous so she didn't feel it coming."

Lizzy looked pained as she stared at her feet, "I'm assuming you heard the whole conversation Max and I had?" I guessed.

She looked up and nodded, "For a certain topic that was discussed, I trust you understand my reasons for it?" I asked.

"Yea, you made some valid points," she agreed. "So I'll lighten up on the pestering, but don't expect me to completely stop 'cause I'm not."

I chuckled, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. I'm sure that the world would end if you did," I teased.

"Haha," Lizzy said sarcastically. "Well, I better find Max."

She then left leaving just Drew and me.

"Have any comments as to what I said?" I asked not really wanting to have this conversation, but I didn't want there to be any awkwardness because of what I said.

Drew shrugged his shoulders, "I respect with what you said and I agree. What we do now is chaotic, it would be hard to have a marriage while trying to be agents."

"But I take it to a whole new level with being the Guardian of Arceus," I added with a sigh. "It's something I struggle with all the time. I want stability in my life, but I don't want to give up being able to go all out."

Drew pulled me into a hug and kissed my temple, "Remember that you are never alone in that fight."

I nodded as I breathed deeply, "I know."

"You're not the only one who's weird. Remember I'm an aura guardian too," Drew pointed out.

"But you don't shoot lightning or breathe fire," I teased as I lifted my face up to see his.

"I guess not," he agreed teasingly. "Come on, I'm pretty sure everyone is wondering where we went."

I sighed and nodded as he pulled me to his side as we walked back to the gathering.

"Where the hell did you two go? We were worried!" Dawn snapped as the gang found us.

"Max and I needed to talk some things out," I explained as Mr. Contesta walked up to me.

"Oh Mr. Contesta, I was able to finalize things for the contest yesterday," I reported.

"I saw the changes and I'm impressed," he complimented.

"Well, I've lived a Pokemon Center for quite a while so I know how things work," I explained.

"I see. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the contest. The Pokemon Contest Committee made a few changes," he explained.

"Really? What's changing?" I asked slightly confused.

"First off, this contest is more than a regular contest. It'll have standards of the Wallace Cup so anyone can participate and the ribbon will count in all regions," he said as he showed me a picture of the ribbon.

It was black with multiple shades of grey, "Why the change?" I asked.

"We want this contest to pay tribute to the damage that was done here in Petalburg. That's why we would like you to be the guest judge for the performance and open the contest with an appeal," he said causing me to look at him in surprise.

"Okay," I answered slightly dazed.

"Good, I'll let the committee know, see you then," he said with a smile and he walked away as people began to leave.

"You look out of it," Misty commented.

"That's because I have nothing lined up. I am at a total loss in what I'm going to do," I said truthfully. "Last year, I raised the bar to the point of where I don't think I can surpass it."

"Nonsense," Dawn stated firmly. "You're not a four timing Top Coordinator for nothing."

"But Dawn, I haven't practiced for contests in months," I argued before sighing.

"So just work on some simple ones," Leaf suggested.

I sighed, "I guess, but I think the appeal that Mr. Contesta is looking for is an appeal similar to the one I did at school last year."

"So break it down into steps," Gary answered.

"I'm doing that right now. The problem is that I don't know how to portray the song I want to perform," I explained.

"So what's the song?" Drew asked interested.

"Well…..can't quite tell ya. I haven't recorded it yet," I said with a slight laugh causing everyone to sweatdrop.

"Maybe it is time to worry," Misty muttered.

I then got an idea, "I think I actually have an idea of what I'm doing but, it's still in the works," I said as I stood up and began to run and find Gardevoir. "I'll see you later."

I sensed Drew trying to catch up to me, "Mind filling me in?" he asked.

"You'll see," I teased with a wink.

* * *

**_November 11th (Rosewall Town, Hoenn)_**

"Great job Gardevoir, I think we've got it," I said sighing in relief. "You can take a break."

She nodded and walked off while I went inside the bungalow to get a drink of water.

While doing so, I walked past all the stuff in the living room and sighed, "I better start going through all of that," I muttered as I finished my water.

I grabbed some post its, a marker, and tape before sitting down cross-legged. I grabbed the first box closest to me and began to take inventory of its contents. I continued to attack boxes finding mostly old sheets, equipment, and other things from the Pokemon Center as well the computer stuff Max wanted. After I took the few boxes upstairs to his room, I opened the next box and I froze. The smell from the box faintly smelled of my childhood home. Inside contained toddler clothes and other things that were vaguely familiar.

"Why would Joy have all of this?" I murmured as I opened another box containing some more old things.

With ever box I opened, I felt more nostalgic. Vague memories of the past began to hit me. Eventually, I found a letter addressed to me in one of the boxes.

* * *

(Drew's POV)

"_Dude, why the hell didn't you attack_?" Gary shouted at me annoyed.

I sighed in annoyance, "I don't have a fast enough reaction time so can it."

"_We could have cleared the dungeon if you hadn't died_," Gary complained.

I sighed as I waited for my guy to resurrect. Suddenly I felt the need to check on May and scanned for her aura. I found her downstairs feeling grief, more so than the past few days.

"Guys, I've got to go," I said quickly as I began to log out.

"_Dude you can't bail, we've almost cleared the dungeon_," Ash whined.

"Well my girlfriend needs me more," I snapped as I logged out and shut my laptop.

I went downstairs to find May sobbing on the floor with a letter in front of her. I quietly went and sat down next to her taking her in my arms letting her cry. She needed to let it out while she could.

After a while, May began to calm down and she pulled away to wipe her tears.

"I'm sorry," she said hoarsely.

I gave a sad smile, "You don't need to apologize sweetheart, you've been holding it in for a long time."

I watched her cheeks flush slightly when I called her sweetheart, better remember that.

"I guess reading Joy's letter triggered it," she sighed. "She wrote to me how she came across all this stuff that belonged to my family a couple of weeks ago. That she kept this stuff safe for my parents."

May took a shaky breath, "She also wrote that she knew she was dying and that she was proud of Max and myself. She considered us the kids she never had and that she loved us," she said as her voice began to crack and she started to cry again.

I pulled her close as I kissed and stroked her head, "I don't understand, why does everyone I love die? It isn't fair. What have they done to deserve this?" she sobbed angrily.

"They didn't deserve it, but there are some things in life we can't control. We just have to accept that everything happens for a reason whether we like it or not," I murmured. "We just need to remember that the ones we care for are in our hearts even if they are gone."

May pulled back to look at me. I could see the depths of sadness and love in her eyes.

"I love you," she murmured.

I gave a small smile back, "I love you too," I replied before we kissed.

"Of course we leave for a few hours to find you both here making out," Lizzy said sarcastically as she and Max came in.

"Better get used to it," I said as I kissed May causing Lizzy and Max to cringe.

"Enough with the PDA already," Max complained.

May laughed and Lizzy gave a small frown, "You okay, you look like you've been crying?"

She nodded, "I just reached my breaking point when I was going through all these boxes."

"What's in them?" Lizzy asked.

"A bunch of stuff from when I was younger," she said as she reached to pull a box closer and began to pull stuff out.

"Huh," she said as she pulled out what seemed to be a scrapbook.

"What's that?" Max asked.

"I don't know," she said honestly as she opened it up.

She then gasped, "No way!" she murmured.

"What is it?" Max asked as he looked over our shoulders.

"Mom and dad's wedding pictures. I thought all of this stuff was destroyed years ago," she said surprised. "I wonder…"

I heard a door open as May began to look through boxes, "Oh hey you guys. What brings you here?" Max asked as he looked up from the photo album.

"We thought we'd stop by since the guys said Drew abandoned them for you," Dawn said.

"No we didn't," Gary and Ash shouted.

Misty rolled her eyes, "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"My parents wedding album. Apparently it was packed away in the attic at the Pokemon Center," May explained as I found what I was looking for. "Ah ha!"

"Ah ha what?" Lizzy asked.

"I've found what I was looking for," she said as I pulled the item out of the box.

"Wow!" Dawn awed as she helped May pull it out.

"Wait, that's your mom's wedding dress isn't it?" Lizzy said making the connection.

May nodded, "I figured that if the wedding album was here so was my mom's dress."

"I'm surprised it's in this great of condition considering where it's been," Dawn said surprised.

"It's not quite my type, but it's still pretty though," Leaf agreed.

"Remember Leaf, puffed up sleeves and lace was the style of most wedding dresses in the 90s," May pointed out as she folded the dress to put away.

"That's great that you still have it though," Misty said making May smile.

She nodded in agreement, "I'm pretty sure a lot of stuff from my childhood and my parent's early marriage are in these boxes, but I can finish going through it later. I should keep getting ready for tomorrow."

"So are you ready for tomorrow?" Ash asked.

May gave a grin as looked around at everyone, "You bet."

* * *

**_November 12th (Petalburg City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

"_Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Petalburg City Contest_," Vivian announced causing cheers to be heard.

I turned my attention from the TV in my private room back to the mirror as I gave myself one last look over and double checked the mic I was wearing for later.

"You know you look beautiful no matter what," Drew said from leaning against the door frame. "So quit worrying."

"I'm not, I'm just double checking to make sure everything looks okay," I stated firmly.

Drew chuckled as he walked over to me, "That's still considered worrying," he teased as he grabbed my hand making me stand up as he kissed it. "You'll be fine."

"I just hope everyone is satisfied with what I planned," I muttered.

Drew smirked, "I would reassure you that it will, but I can't say that cause you wouldn't even let me see it when you were practicing," he teased.

"Too bad," I teased giving a slight pout before grabbing Gardevoir's pokeball and my violin. "Wish me luck."

I was about to walk out when Drew pulled my arm to force me back into him where he kissed me deeply.

"You don't need it," he murmured.

I gave a small smile as I kissed him again before running out.

"Now to introduce our special guest judge who is opening up this contest with an appeal, May Maple," Vivian announced causing cheers to be heard.

I smiled from the corridor where I was hidden in the shadows as I controlled the air to turn into a fog to cover the field.

I then released Gardevoir, "Are you ready?"

She nodded and gave me a smile. We then walked on stage as piano music could be heard. I then had the fog to thin out some before I began to play. Gardevoir then started to use her psychic moves and powers to tell a story with the fog. What I wanted from this appeal was to tell our stories of grief since both Gardevoir and I had suffered lose.

When I played the refrain, she began to show images of hope, love, and family as she gracefully moved about the stage. At the end, she Psychic and Signal Beam to create an explosion of color before making a rainbow over the whole stage. Sure the appeal was simple, but it was just enough for I wanted to show.

The crowd then applauded as Gardevoir and I bowed. I then turned on my mic, "Thank you so much for the applause. When I was creating this appeal, I had no idea how to portray what I wanted to show everyone. Then I remembered my Gardevoir and how we both have suffered from the loss of loved ones. We wanted to display our grief in a way that connected to everyone as well as show the love and hope that comes from those around us when we mourn the ones we love. That even though the ones we love are gone, we still carry them in our hearts. What I hope to see today are coordinators who are able to communicate with their pokemon not only on a level of simple communication, but a level of emotion. The bonds between pokemon and trainer go deeper than anything and you receive amazing results because of it," I said before I gestured to the stage behind me. "I welcome you to my stage."

The crowd applauded again as I returned Gardevoir and made my way to the judge's panel.

Throughout the whole contest, it was amazing to be in the shoes of a judge. I can understand why they love doing it. Afterwards, a coordinator named Marie from Rustboro City won.

"Congratulations on winning, you and your pokemon did a magnificent job," I praised as I awarded her and her pokemon the ribbon.

"Thanks so much," she beamed as she accepted it.

The contest then came to a close. I went back to my dressing room to pack my violin before going outside to find everyone waiting for me.

"Great job on your appeal," Lizzy praised.

I grinned, "Thanks, I'm glad that everyone loved it. Too bad about your loss in the quarter finals."

"Yeah, but at least I understand why I didn't win and it'll make me stronger," she decided.

"When are you heading out to Johto?" I asked.

"Right now actually, the next contest is coming up and I want to be back in order have some time to train," she explained before smirking and elbowing Max. "And someone needs to register for the Johto League."

I looked at Max, "Are you ready to leave?"

Max shrugged, "No time like the present. Will you be okay?"

I nodded as I gestured to the gang on either side of me with my thumbs, "I've got these guys to keep me in check."

I then walked up to Max and gave him a hug, "Good luck, I'll be cheerin' ya all the way."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, now get off," Max complained with a slight blush at the attention I was giving him.

I laughed and let go as Max and Lizzy began heading to the airport.

I gave a slight frown as I watched them go.

I then felt a hand on my shoulder, "They'll be alright," Drew promised.

I gave a nod with a small smile as I placed my hand on top of his, "I guess you're right. No need to worry."


	27. Dive Right In

**Ari: I'M BACK IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING!**

**Drew: About time *wipes a finger on a table picking up a bunch of dust* you've been gone for almost 6 months.**

**Ari: I know and I'm sorry you guys. Lack of motivation hit and writer's block hit me hard til about August when I decided to edit my stories up til the last chapter to help get me get my writing mojo back. As for my editing, I know it's not perfect, but it's good enough for me. Thankfully, I finished editing a couple weeks ago and started writing again in overcoming my writer's block. Now I can't stop writing! Thank Arceus! I wasn't planning on posting this yet, but I figured I tortured you all long enough. Drew, since you're in my presence, you get to do the disclaimer.**

**Drew: schoolmouse33 doesn't own pokemon, only her tired self.**

**Ari: This is true...ROLL FILM!**

* * *

**_November 20th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

"How are we going to defeat the boss without joining a party?" Drew asked slightly annoyed.

"Pfft, we don't need to, the four of us can handle it," Gary said unconcerned.

"You're insane," Drew muttered as we continued to eat lunch.

"We could get some of the guys to form a party with us," Ash suggested with his mouth full of hamburger.

I waited for Misty to hit him for talking with his mouth full, but she ignored him and continued to eat.

"At least our asses won't be kicked," Drew sighed.

"No kidding, especially since those three players haven't shown up for a while. Guess they couldn't take a hit," Gary snickered.

I looked at Leaf to see her hit her drink on her tray before standing up and grabbing it.

"Where you going?" I asked concerned.

"To the library, I need to find a book for my paper," she said stiffly with Misty and Dawn following her lead.

I sighed, "I'll see you guys later," I said as I kissed Drew's cheek before following the girls.

I followed them to an open area on campus, "I know you finished your paper last week Leaf, you had me proofread it," I said bluntly.

Leaf gave a small grunt, "I just wanted out of there, I'm sick of hearing about them talking about that game. If anything, my plan to beat them at their own game backfired. Now they won't stop."

"I know you girls want the guys to give you their attention, but staying silent isn't going to solve anything," I reasoned.

"Neither is telling them," Leaf said getting angry. "Gary doesn't even give the time of day anymore. Even if I said something, he would complain that I'm being too clingy. Hell, I wanna bet $20 he's not going to even remember my birthday tomorrow."

"I doubt that," I said slightly surprised at her bitter tone.

"I wouldn't be, not with a new game update coming out tomorrow. The guys will do nothing but game," Dawn said bitterly.

"Dawn….," I started to say but she held up her hand to stop me.

"Look, I know you mean well, but it's best if you let us handle this," she said.

"But that's the point, you aren't doing anything," I said slightly exasperated.

"The thing is, it's up to the guy's to figure out there's a problem," Misty explained.

I sweatdropped, "You do know who your boyfriend is right?"

Misty shrugged, "He has his moments."

I chuckled at the girls reasoning, "Then again, you girls are acting just like we usually do when there's a problem. Make the guy know something they did is wrong when you say nothing."

"Except they're too busy gaming to notice," Dawn said slightly pissed off.

The bell then rang ending lunch, "We better get to class," Leaf sighed as she sat up.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I was busy working on a few problems Mrs. Burch assigned when I noticed Paul staring at me, "What?"

He raised an eyebrow at me causing me to roll my eyes and focus back on my work. For the remainder of class, I felt him staring at me from time to time, but I ignored him. The bell than rang signaling the end of school.

I grabbed my stuff and tried to leave when Paul grabbed my hand, "What?" I asked again.

"Do you have something you want to tell me?" he asked.

"Not really," I said while muttering under my breath. "Nothing you can't figure out on your own."

I then felt myself being dragged out of the room and towards the woods on campus, "What the hell Paul?! Let me go," I said annoyed with a slight shout.

"Tell me what's going on," he demanded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"You. You have been more quiet than usual and you're brooding. You never do that," he said bluntly.

I scoffed, "Seriously, you now just figured this out. After I've been like this for the past month!" I screamed.

He waited for me to continue as if waiting for me to continue screaming like a whiny bitch, "Oh no, I'm not doing this," I said as I began to walk back away.

Paul then grabbed my arm and hugged me into him, "I'm not letting you go until you tell."

"Let go," I said as I trying to get out of his hold.

"No," he said as he held me tighter.

I continued to struggle, but I began to lose the strength to as I felt myself begin to shake from trying not to cry. I missed being this near to him and I just wanted him back.

"You jerk," I said as my voice cracked from emotion.

I then felt him loosening his hold as he turned me around. He then held me close and kissed my temple. I felt myself stiffen in shock as my pupils shrank in surprise because he never did that. In doing so, I couldn't keep the tears in anymore and began to sob as I hugged him back fiercely.

"So that's it," Paul murmured as if he figured it out. "I've been neglecting you."

In him saying that, it caused me to cry even more, "You freakin' jerk. All you did was play that stupid game and the more you began to play, the more you began to forget me. I figured that a few days wouldn't hurt, but then it turned out to be weeks and I didn't want to complain because you'd call me a clingy bitch for whining."

Paul then pulled away and lifted my head up, "Dawn, I would never accuse you of something that you're not. If something is bothering you, I want you to tell me. Alright?"

I nodded as he kissed me, "As for forgetting about you, that's highly unlikely. Who else is going to talk me to death?" he muttered teasingly causing me to glare at him.

He then hugged me close, "I'm sorry that I haven't been giving you any attention."

I smiled, "No need to worry," I chirped before looking at him and smirking. "You'll be making up for it."

Paul smirked back as he kissed me deeply. While making out, I remembered I was supposed to meet with the girls.

"Crap," I muttered as I broke from the kiss to look at my poketch. "I've got to go."

Paul then hugged me from behind as I tried to run, "Who said you could go?"

"I have to otherwise the girls are going to kill me. You can have me later. Besides, the guys are probably wondering where you went off to," I pointed out.

"They aren't my keepers and what makes you think I'll let you go?" he asked.

"Because you love me?" I guessed teasingly.

Paul sighed, "Only you Troublesome, only you," he murmured as he kissed me again.

He then let me go and I ran to the beach where I was supposed to meet with the girls.

"Where were you? We almost called for a search party," Leaf called.

"I got held up," I explained as I took out my compowder to change into a tank top and yoga pants.

"Held up?" Misty asked.

"Someone needed to talk to me about something," I said as I began to stretch.

"Did he make things right?" May asked nonchalantly.

I sighed happily, "Yeah."

I then looked at May to see her smirking making me realize that she knew, "You need to stop hanging around your boyfriend so much," I muttered.

"Care to clue the rest of us in," Misty huffed in slight annoyance.

"Dawn and Paul made up," May summarized.

"Good for you," Leaf said trying to show enthusiasm.

"Don't worry Leaf, things will work out," I said with a smile.

Leaf sighed, "You're boyfriend isn't as big of a gamer as mine."

"Enough ladies," May said as she clapped her hands. "Let's get to work."

"Do we have to go through the whole routine again?" Leaf said with a slight whine.

"Does Misty hate bug pokemon?" May retorted with a smirk.

"I hate you," Misty and Leaf grumbled as we began to practice with the dummies May created.

After practicing for an hour, I felt great.

"You girls are getting a lot better, you might even surpass me," May praised.

"I doubt anyone can surpass you in martial arts," Leaf muttered.

"Come on, we better head back since it's getting late," Misty observed as she looked to see that the sun had almost completely set.

As we made our way back, May's poketch beeped. She pulled it out and pushed a few buttons.

"I'll catch you girls later, I need to meet up with someone," she called as she took off running toward school.

"Wonder who she's meeting with?" I asked thoughtfully.

"Probably Drew, those two can't stay away from each other for long," Leaf said with a slight smirk though her eyes looked sad. My guess is that she wishes that she and Gary were like that.

"She'd say if it was Drew and besides, May hasn't been called to help anyone lately so that's most likely the case," Misty deducted.

"True, we're technically are back on the clock now for missions," I agreed.

"Hopefully that'll cut down the guys' game time," Leaf muttered.

"Do we wanna play a little bit?" I asked.

"Nah, I wanted to watch the season premiere of "Mental". It looks hilarious," Leaf explained.

"Is it the murder show with the psychic?" I asked.

Leaf nodded, "Mind if we join ya?" I asked.

"I don't mind so long as you make your special pizza," Leaf bargained with a grin.

"Deal!" I chirped as we shook on it.

When we reached the house, we didn't hear anything. No shouting or swearing, not even a simple word.

"Are the guys even here?" I asked in puzzlement.

"You'd think they would," Leaf grumbled.

We then went upstairs and each looked in our boyfriend's rooms to see them empty.

"Where'd they go?" I wondered as we meet in the hall.

"Probably a mission, we _are_ back on duty," Misty reminded.

"Come on, if you girls want my pizza, you're gonna have to help me make it," I said as I started downstairs thinking of all the ingredients we would need.

* * *

**_November 21st (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

I woke up to the wonderful sound of my alarm clock and grumbled under my breath as I attempted to turn the obnoxious sound off.

After succeeding, I got ready for class by dressing in a black cami with a black sheer shirt that had long poncho sleeves and skinny jeans. I snuck a few knives as I put my hair in a high ponytail and put on my grey slouch boots. After deeming myself worthy to be in public, I grabbed my backpack and went downstairs to find Misty and Leaf eating breakfast.

"Happy Birthday Leafy," I chirped as I hugged her from behind.

"Thanks Dawn," she said with a small smile.

"When'd did you get back? You weren't here when we went up to bed," I said to May who finished eating her pancake.

"I didn't get back here til after midnight," she explained. "An acquaintance of a friend needed my help. As a heads up, I'm going back to help after school lets out."

"Are the guys up?" I asked noticing their missing presence.

"There aren't here, we don't know where they are," May said with a slight frown.

"They're probably on a mission and it's running late," Leaf muttered as she finished eating.

"Drew would still at least send me a message," May murmured.

"I'm sure he's fine. After all, he's an aura guardian like you," I said as I gave her a reassuring side hug.

"We better hurry otherwise we'll be late," Misty said as she looked at her poketch.

"And we'll have to be more attentive to our notes," May muttered.

"We'll survive and who knows, maybe the guys will show up," I said optimistically.

* * *

*After School*

"Or maybe they'll be gone the entire day," I muttered as the girls and I left the building.

"Now I'm starting to worry," May muttered.

"Don't worry, we'll look into it. You go and help that friend's acquaintance of yours," Misty directed.

"I have to go to the house first and pick up my poketch, I accidently forgot to bring with me to class," May said sheepishly. "And don't worry Leaf, I'll be back real quick so we can celebrate your birthday."

After we made it back to the house, May rushed upstairs to grab her poketch while the girls and I followed to put our backpacks in our rooms.

When I stepped into the hall, I noticed May frowning, "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"The acquaintance I'm helping was robbed yesterday and didn't notice it until late this morning. They've been trying to reach me all day," she said slightly frustrated. "I'll try to be back in time for our dinner reservation."

"No worries, take your time. I figured we might skip our plans and stay here," Leaf admitted.

"Nonsense, we are going out and that is final," May stated firmly. "If I'm not here in time, I'll meet you at the restaurant."

She then raced out leaving the girls and I in the hall, "Why don't we call PHPA to see if they know where the guys are at?" I suggested.

"I suppose, it's not like we have anything better to do," Leaf muttered.

"You girls go ahead, I'm gonna check up on my avatar since I haven't played in a few days," Misty said as went to get her laptop.

Leaf and I went downstairs to our command central and began to call Clair as Misty took a seat in a nearby chair.

"_Hey girls, it's been a while_," Clair answered as her picture appeared. "_What can I do for you_?

"Have the guys been requested to go on a mission?" I asked.

Clair shook her head, "_We haven't had anything serious happen that we needed you to investigate. Why do you ask_?"

"It's nothing, we were just curious since the guys have been gone since yesterday," Leaf explained.

"They probably left to game," I added.

"_Alright, I'll talk to you later girls_," Clair said as she ended the call.

"Well, I don't know if I'm pleased with that answer," I admitted.

"Um….girls," Misty called nervously. "I think I found them."

"Where?" I asked.

"In the game," she answered.

Leaf groaned, "Figured as much, they would be gaming their asses off due to the new update."

"No, they are literally in the game," Misty said worried as she turned her laptop to show us her screen.

Leaf and I looked to see avatars looking like the guys in the clothes they wore yesterday.

"I doubt that's them, there's no technology that can literally put you in the game," Leaf scoffed.

"But isn't it really strange to see avatars exactly like them in the exact clothes they wore yesterday," I argued.

Leaf sighed, "Okay fine, it is a tad bit strange, but how do we figure out if that's them. We don't even know where they are."

"I'll track their wallets. You do a search on diving-game technology," I directed as I started typing on the main computer.

"I'll keep an eye on where the avatars are heading. It looks like they're heading to Oredig Town," Misty reported.

I brought up the tracking numbers for the guys wallets only to discover that were located here.

"Great, the guys didn't take their wallets meaning we have no way to track them," I muttered in annoyance and worry.

"Hmm….." Leaf said in thought.

"Did you find something?" I asked.

"Actually yeah. There are rumors of a tech company called In-Tech Labs researching dive-in game technology for the game Sword of Destiny," Leaf explained as she pulled up multiple blogs discussing the rumor.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Technology that allows a person to put themselves in the game using the five senses. It's revolutionary technology that's similar to virtual reality. It's the most popular form of tech that's being researched at this time," Leaf explained.

"Maybe we should follow up and talk to this company," I suggested.

"Before we do anything, we should talk to May," Misty said. "She's the one who's most worried."

I then pulled out my compowder to call her only she didn't pick up.

"She's probably still helping that friend's acquaintance of hers," Leaf assumed.

"Probably," I agreed thoughtfully as I typed in the coordinates to track May.

"What are you doing?" Leaf asked as I entered the coordinates to show May at In-Tech Labs.

"Okay, this is starting to get strange," Misty commented suspiciously. "What's May doing at In-Tech Labs?"

"I don't know, but I guess we're going," I said with a sigh.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

As we traveled to Celadon City, where ITL was located, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Where were the guys? Were they actually in the game? Why was May at ITL? Does she know about the dive-in tech?

We finally arrived and entered the building to find a receptionist sitting at the front desk.

"Can I help you?" she asked pleasantly.

"Hi, could you direct us to someone we could talk to about the dive-in game technology?" Dawn asked pleasantly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. That information is classified," she answered in a tone that was too cheery for my taste.

I sighed in annoyance, "We're PHPA agents here to investigate the theft that occurred here," I said sternly.

"We didn't notify PHPA," she said slightly confused.

"You're superiors did," I lied. "If you be so kind as to lead us to them, we would appreciate."

"I suppose," she said in a tone that was debating whether or not to let us through.

"Right, follow me," she said as she stood up behind her desk.

She then guided us to the elevators where we went to the third floor. After walking a couple corridors, we stood in front of an office of a Mr. Antony Davis.

The receptionist then knocked on the door, "Dr. Davis, the PHPA agents are here to see you," she announced.

"What are you talking about, I certainly did not call PHPA to send agents down to investigate," he shouted gruffly from behind the door.

"Crap," I hissed.

"Denise?"

I turned around to find May with an older gentleman.

"It's okay Denise, they are friends of mine," May called.

"It's alright, go back to the front desk," the older gentleman said gently.

Denise nodded and left, "What are you girls doing here?" May asked surprised.

"It's a long story, is there somewhere we can talk?" Misty asked.

"Let's go into my office," the older guy suggested. "I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Dr. Marco."

"I'm Misty."

"I'm Dawn."

"And I'm Leaf," we introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you girls," Dr. Marco said with the smile.

"So what led you girls here?" May asked.

"We tried to figure out where the guys were. First we called up Clair who said that they hadn't been called in for a mission. Then Misty noticed avatars in SOD that look exactly like the guys, even to the detail of the clothes they were wearing yesterday. We then stumbled on the online discussion of dive-in game technology and tracked your compowder coordinates to here," I explained as we reached Dr. Marco's office.

"So what are you doing here?" Dawn asked.

"I'm here to help Dr. Marco develop that specific tech," May explained.

"How?" I asked.

"I'm letting him scan my brain to create a simulation in how the tech affects it," she explained.

"We're trying to keep this technology under secrecy, but I needed a way to run tests without releasing information. I then contacted a mutual friend of ours who suggested Miss Maple," Dr. Marco explained. "Then I learned that early prototypes were stolen some point yesterday."

"I came here to investigate as to who might have stolen them," May added. "So far I haven't found much."

"How many were stolen?" Misty asked.

"Four," Dr. Marco said.

"So the guys could be in the game right now," Dawn gasped.

"From what you girls are telling me, it is possible," Dr. Marco admitted. "But I'm very concerned. Those prototypes weren't ready to be tested."

"Why?" Misty asked worried.

"For one, it takes people into the game, but people cannot access their avatar. We also haven't created a way for people to log out of the game," Dr. Marco explained.

"What about just talking the tech off?" I suggested.

May frowned and shook her head, "Not unless you want very harsh repercussions both physically and mentally."

"Hmm…and you haven't developed a dive-in tech that can allow a person to use their avatar?" I asked.

"Actually, we have," a voice said as they entered Dr. Marco's office.

"I was sure we only had the four prototypes," Dr. Marco frowned. "Girls, this is Dr. Larkin. He's one of main creators of the technology behind dive-in gaming."

"So you actually have rigs that can access a person's avatars?" Misty clarified.

"Yes, we just finished making four new ones that are better than the prototype," Dr. Larkin explained.

"Maybe we could use those to dive in the game and save the guys?" Dawn murmured.

"No, it's too dangerous," Dr. Marco argued.

"Nonsense, it's perfectly safe," Dr. Larkin said calmly.

"But..," Dr. Marco protested as his office phone beeped.

"Yes Louise," Dr. Marco answered when pushing a button.

"_Dr. Marco, you have a call on line 1_," she said politely.

"Can it wait?" Dr. Marco asked slightly impatient.

"_They say it's urgent sir_," she answered.

"Come along girls, I'll get you set up while Dr. Marco takes his call," Dr. Larkin said smoothly.

I looked at the girls who looked slightly hesitant, but we followed Dr. Larkin out of Dr. Marco's office. We then walked down a series of corridors and hallways. While doing so, May was typing on her compowder at a furious pace.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just needed remembered that I needed to reply to someone's message from before," she explained as she sent it. She kept messaging this person til we reached we reached a lab with four beds and a headset on each.

"Okay, I need you ladies to take all electrical devices that you have and place them in this bin," Dr. Larkin explained as he grabbed a nearby bin.

"Why?" Misty asked slightly suspicious.

"The electromagnetic radiation from your devices will interfere with the gaming rig," he explained. "For your safety, it would be best if I collect your devices and put them a safe distance from the gaming rigs."

I looked at my compowder in my hand slightly hesitant before I put in the bin along with my poketch. The girls followed my lead as they surrendered their poketches and compowders.

"Excellent, now if you could pick a bed, you can put on the headset and lie done," Dr. Larkin instructed.

The girls and I did as he asked and picked a bed. I put on my head set and lied down.

"Give me a second and I will start up the game," Dr. Larkin informed as I tried to calm my heart down.

I didn't know what to expect causing me to feel slightly anxious. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I saw myself falling to the ground and began screaming in panic. I then hit the ground with a thud.

I then rubbed my head as I sat up, "Holy Rayquaza," I said in awe as I looked around and it looked exactly like the real deal.

I then looked down at myself to see that I had the same clothes that I wore in real life, "Wait a minute, what happened to logging into my account?" I asked aloud.

I then gasped as I noticed that the girls weren't with me, "Misty! Dawn! May! Anyone here?" I shouted.

"Leaf!" I heard someone shout from a distance.

I ran towards the noise and saw Dawn, "Thank Mew you're okay," I sighed in relief. "Where's Misty and May?"

"Here," Misty said as we turned around to see her come up.

"What about May?" Dawn wondered.

"Here," May groaned as she pushed a branch out the way as she rubbed her head. "Ow that friggin' hurt."

"Umm…..May? Doesn't this have pain cancellation?" Misty reminded her slightly confused.

"It doesn't matter if it does, that still would hurt," May complained.

"Now that we found each other, what do we do now? We didn't log into our accounts?," Dawn said concerned.

"I had feeling this might happen," May muttered. "You see, I didn't really trust Dr. Larkin, but I went along with him because I didn't want him to think I was on to him."

"Ow, I just had an Ash moment, give a second to process what you just said," Dawn whined as she rubbed her temples.

After a few seconds, she took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm good."

"Anyway, I figured he might have been responsible for stealing those prototypes and trapping the guys," May explained.

"Why though?" I asked.

"I haven't figured that out," she said as we then heard loud thumps.

"Hide!" Dawn hissed as she shoved us into come bushes.

"Ow Pinky! What the Hell?!" Misty hissed.

"It doesn't matter for us to hide, they'll still find us," I muttered.

"Shut up!" Dawn snapped in a whisper.

The thumps became louder and we heard shouts, attacks, and spells in the distance.

"Someone must be fighting a monster, we should get out of here and get to a town," I advised.

"But where the hell are we and where's the closest town?" May asked.

I looked at the surroundings, "This almost looks like Froliths Wood and with the placement of the Ende and Silth moons, we should run this way," I said as I pointed toward the darker part of the woods.

"Please tell me you're joking," Misty muttered.

"Look, it's either we run into a fight or away from it," I argued.

"And into a monster," Dawn mumbled.

"Fine," May said giving in as the sounds of thumps and attacks got closer.

We then ran toward the darker part of the woods and after a while, we hit a clearing that had a town a couple yards away.

"Thank Arceus!" Dawn gasped.

"Soooo…where are we?" May asked.

"The Town of Salvane," I said proudly.

The girls gave me weird looks, "Just don't let it go to your head Leafy," Dawn muttered.

"Shut up, I got us here didn't I?" I retorted as we made our way into town.

"Just keep your ego in check, we're here to save the guy's asses and we need to be on our guard," Misty reminded.

"Well now that we made it here, let's see if we can find a quiet place to figure things out," May suggested.

"Let's go to the local inn, there should be one here," Misty said.

"Doesn't it cost money though?" May asked.

"Not necessarily," I said as we saw an inn and went inside.

We found a table in the corner unused and sat down, "So what do we do now?"

"We wait," May said causing the rest of us to look at her stunned.

"Excuse me? We wait?!" Dawn said slightly angry.

May frowned at her, "Yes, I'm waiting for a contact of mine to help us out."

"In game?" I asked.

She nodded, "Wait, were they the one you were messaging earlier?" I asked.

May nodded again, "Yes, he knows things and he's the only one that can help us out," she said.

"Cool, who is he?" I asked.

"I wouldn't know," she said as an npc waitress came by.

"Hello players, can I get anything for you today?" she asked pleasantly.

"No, we're good at the moment," I answered.

"Are you sure you don't want anything? Food? A drink?" she asked.

"We'll take some water," May answered getting the npc to leave so we could continue our conversation.

"What do you mean you don't know? How can you contact someone you don't know?" Dawn asked confused.

"Because he doesn't exist," May said with a slight smirk.

The girls and I gave her a confused look, "Okay, do we want to know?" Misty asked.

"Nope," she said ending the conversation meaning it was best if we didn't know.

The npc came back with glasses of water, "We'll let you know if we need anything else," May interjected quickly before the npc could speak again.

The npc nodded and walked away as a guy in a black cape came into the inn causing May to stand up, "Stay here."

"But….," Dawn protested only for May to raise her hand to shush her.

"This is really sketchy," Dawn complained as we watched May and the guy with the black cloak disappear.

"Tell me about it, this screams trouble," Misty muttered as she sipped her water.

"What do you think she's talking to him about?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know, hopefully something that will help us out," I answered.

After a few minutes, May returned and the guy in the black cloak left.

"Okay, let's go," she said as she reached our table.

"But we just got here," I protested.

"Doesn't matter, what we have to do now has to be done privately so move," May said with a slight snap.

We raised our eyebrows, but said nothing as we left the inn and followed May back into the forest.

"Here," she said as she handed us scrolls of paper when we reached the woods.

"What do we do with it?" Misty asked confused.

"This," May said as she swiped her hand down to bring up a panel that was white.

She then placed the scroll near it for the scroll to sink into the white. May then suddenly transformed into a white skirt that was high low with an off the shoulder halter top with short frill sleeves and gladiator sandals, but her most distinguishing feature was the fact she had Skitty like ears and a tail.

* * *

**Ari: Again, I wasn't planning of posting this yet, but I figured I should give you guys something. The reason why I was conflicted about posting this is because I'm not done writing my plot arc yet. I try to not post anything until I finish writing the plot arc completely because then I can make edits in making sure all the story details are consistent so be grateful I went against my wishes! Just kidding, it was a pleasure to post this :). Anyway, now for the news as to the next update. Hopefully it will be soon. I already have another chapter finished within my word count range and have started the 3rd. I hope to finish writing out my plot arc within the week because I want to get it up before the end of the semester. At this point, I am where it is the calm before the storm, the anticipation that you know something is coming and you're waiting for it. What is this storm you may ask? Projects/papers and lots of them. I have so much writing I have to do for school, I'm afraid it's gonna kill me! So I want to upload all these chapters before I get swamped with school. I estimate a total of 2-4 chapters coming your way so be excited, be very excited!**

**Ari: *looks back at what she just wrote* Wow! I think that's the longest I've ever written for the after comments.**

**May: Something like that. *looks at the upcoming story* I still can't believe you had Le...**

**Ari: *glomps May and covers her mouth* NO SPOILERS! *turns to face the readers* Thanks so much in being patient with me and sticking around for this story. Til we meet again, be nice to kids, pets, and old people!**


	28. Skitty's Out of the Bag

**Ari: Hey guys, I got impatient in not updating what I had written down so here's the next chapter. Understand that I have not written much further after this so the next update will probably be a while. Ash, it's your turn to do the disclaimer.**

**Ash: *looks at Ari with his mouth full and points to himself* meh.**

**Ari: Is there any other Ash around?**

**Ash: *swallows* schoolmouse33 doesn't own pokemon.**

**Ari: Sadly, otherwise I would make the creators of pokemon change Ash's recent character design. Seriously! It's terrible. Anyway...ROLL FILM!**

* * *

**_November 21st (Inside the game: Sword of Destiny)_**

(May's POV)

When the glowing light disappeared, I looked down to see that my outfit had changed. When I looked up at the girls, I saw them having strange looks on their faces.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Uhh…you have Skitty ears and a tail," Leaf said as she pointed to my head.

I reached to touch my head and such enough, I had ears. I put my hand behind me and felt a tail, "That friggin' asshole," I muttered under my breath as I swiped my hand down to access my avatar panel.

I looked at my character's profile and my avatar was named Creatura: magical princess who communicates with beasts and creatures.

"The friggin asshole!" I said louder as I twitched in fury.

"Ah…..May? You okay?" Leaf asked.

"No, the asshole made me a friggin' magical princess," I screeched in annoyance.

The girls then snickered trying to hold in their laughter, "It's not that bad," Misty said in attempts to pacify me.

"He named me Creatura," I deadpanned.

The girls then burst out laughing, "Come on, it's not funny!" I said as I stomped my foot.

"Relax May…..you can….redo your avatar…..later," Leaf said as she tried to catch her breath.

I sighed, "Just swipe your hand down to activate the white panel. Then place your scroll near it to be absorbed."

The girls did as I asked and they began to glow. The glow faded and they were dressed in their characters clothes and breastplates.

Dawn had black hair in a messy bun at the base of her neck with a few strands curled that framed her face. She wore a strapless black corset-like top with short flowy sleeves that weren't attached to her top, a sleeveless, cropped black jacket with dark silver trim, and dark silver leggings. She also wore black calf length boots black fingerless gloves that went up her fore arms. For armor and weapons, she had a few knives and she wore a breast plate.

Misty had light blue hair and wore a dark blue cropped tanktop and short black shorts. She also had fingerless arm gloves that reached all the way to her upper arms, calf length laced up boots, and wore a light blue sleeveless jacket that had holes on the sides and reached 6 inches above her knees. She didn't have any weapons on her at the moment and only wore a partial breast plate.

Leaf had dark green hair and wore a green tanktop and short khaki shorts. Like Misty, she wore fingerless gloves that went up to her upper arms, but were dark green. She also wore a sleeveless jacket that was also dark green, but hers reached the back of her calves. For armor and weapons, she had a breast plate like Dawn's and she carried a bow and a quiver of arrows with a few knives on hand.

"Cool! This is like our avatars, but better!" Dawn said super excited.

"Ditto, I think we got upgraded with these," Leaf added.

"Well whoop-de-doo for you," I said sarcastically.

"We should add you to our party for now," Misty said as I saw an invite appear in front of me.

"Diabolic Renegades?" I asked as I accepted their invite.

The girl's shrugged their shoulders, "It was the best thing we could pick at the time," Leaf explained.

I then noticed a list of people out of the corner of my eye and guessed that it was the girl's avatar names, RagingMyst, PoisonIvy, and IcyTaiga.

"Why did you pick those names for your avatar?" I asked.

"Had to pick something that was gender neutral. We can't be too obvious," Dawn explained.

"Speaking of gender, we should probably use that illusion potion to conceal ourselves," Leaf pointed out.

"Do you seriously have to conceal your identity?" I asked bluntly.

Leaf gave me a hard look, "I don't want him to know."

I sighed, "If Leaf doesn't want herself to be known, we'll follow her lead," Misty said.

"Plus, the guys will be pissed if they find out we play this game especially since we dived in using technology that hasn't even been approved," Dawn added.

I sighed again, "I guess you do have a point, but it's best if I stay as myself because someone is going to have to be the middle man between you and the guys especially since you've gotten them to hate your guts."

"Fine," Leaf agreed as she and the others drank the potion.

"How long will it last?" I asked once the girls finished glowing and their avatars turned male.

"Usually it lasts a day," Leaf explained.

"I guess the next question is figuring out my avatar and how to play since I've never done it before," I muttered as I swiped my hand down to bring up my panel.

"What you have is simple actually. You just chant spells to attack and heal," Leaf explained.

"But how do I know the spells?" I asked.

"There should be a list. I'm able to access mine when I played IRL so the list must be on our panel somewhere," she said as she swiped her hand down to bring up her panel.

"I found it," I called as I looked at the names of the spells I could cast.

"Wow! You have a lot of spells, especially different kinds," Dawn said surprised.

"Different kinds?" I asked.

"Normally a wizard can only use spells that are under his element category besides a few spells in enhancing certain skills like spying," Leaf explained. "From what I can see on your list, you have healing spells, attack spells that cover all categories and then some."

"Obliviously the person who made your avatar wanted to make you powerful enough to match our level," Misty said aloud in thought.

I continued to scroll through the list til I found a spell titled "Weapon Creation", wonder why he added this spell.

"Okay, I guess the next step is to find the guys, but how are we going to do that?" I wondered as I closed my panel.

"Hopefully they wouldn't be stupid to go fight a monster in their state," Misty muttered.

"Why would they?" I asked.

"For money and sometimes for weapon drops," Dawn explained.

"You said you stalked the guys..."

"Observed," Leaf inserted.

"Okay oobbsserrvvedd the guys, don't you have a way of tracking them?" I asked.

"They'd have to be using their avatar," Misty explained.

"I guess, I'll just have to use my contact," I said as I opened up a text box to send him a message.

A few seconds later, I got a reply.

"There in the Hager's Gorge and we need to step on it," I said as I closed the window.

"Let me guess, those idiots are fighting a monster," Leaf guessed in disgust.

I gave her a worried look, "Worse, they're surrounded by player killers."

(Drew's POV)

"What do you want with us? We don't have anything valuable," I argued.

"Give us what you've got," a player demanded.

"I've told you, we don't have anything," I protested angrily.

"Oh boss, can we play a game with them?" a player asked eagerly.

"Why not, we haven't had any fun all day?" the boss agreed with a sly grin before turning to face us. "Guess you gentlemen are lucky. You get to live a little longer than usual."

"You get to run like rats and we get to chase ya down and kill ya," the eager player said excitedly.

"You get three minutes," another player said. "Starting now."

We booked it, "How are we going to get away from these guys?" Ash asked. "We can't outrun them."

"We're gonna have to. We have to make it to a safe zone so these guys can't kill us," Gary panted.

"But where the hell is a town?" Ash protested.

"We'll just have to go back to Oredig," Paul answered.

"But that's miles away!" Ash protested again.

"We don't have a choice," I snapped tiredly.

"We've found you," a voice called childishly.

"Shit," Paul muttered as we tried to pick up our pace.

The player kills then began to shoot spells and projectiles at us making it harder for us to run. We were able to avoid some of them, but we still got hit.

"We need weapons," Gary said tiredly.

"No, we need a miracle," Ash said as we screeched to a halt at the edge of a ledge.

"Looks like you've got nowhere else to run," the eager player said excitedly as they surrounded us.

Suddenly some arrows and knives pierced the player killers causing them to cry out.

"Might want to rethink that!" a familiar voice shouted causing me to look up in shock.

Suddenly the player killers were getting hit with attacks causing their avatars to turn into flames. When the dust settled, I saw a bunch of flames waiting to respawn and two familiar faces that caused the guys to frown.

"Drew! Thank Mew you're okay!" the familiar voice shouted as they attacked me with hug as the flame disappeared.

It wasn't quite the real deal, but after everything that's happened today, I took it and hugged them back tightly.

"What are you doing here May? How are you here? Please tell me you didn't dive in after us," I slight begged as I pulled awhile slightly, but kept her at arm's length.

"Okay, I didn't," she said.

"Now is not the time for jokes May, did you dive in?" I asked more sternly.

May sighed, "Yes," she said causing me to groan. "I had no choice, I was already at the headquarters where the dive tech was being created and this was the fastest way to help you."

"But how, I thought there weren't a lot of headset prototypes yet?" Gary asked.

"There isn't, I kinda took a dangerous route to get here which I'll solve later," May said cutting me off from scolding her.

"Define dangerous?" I asked angrily.

May groaned, "Now's not the time! We've got other issues to worry about."

"May. Explain. Now," I said sternly as I crossed my arms.

May sighed, "The rig I was used wasn't known to the doctor I was helping out. When he was taking a call, I followed another doctor who said there was one available that I could dive in and access an avatar."

"Speaking off," Ash said as he grabbed May's tail making her spasm.

"Do that again and I'll kill you when we're IRL!" May snapped.

"What's with the Skitty look?" Gary asked.

"I didn't have an account when I dived in and when I did dive in, I wasn't able to access anything to create one so someone I know created one for me. They decided to make me that motherfucking princess of creatures hence my appearance," May explained with slight annoyance.

"Your avatar must have come with the latest game update," Paul guessed.

"Still though, it seems to fit you nicely," I teased as I rubbed her head.

"If you want quality time with me when we're IRL, you better stop," she threatened.

"Good luck with that," I smirked as I pecked her lips.

"So what's the story with them?" Gary asked slightly annoyed as he gestured to Misty, Leaf, and Dawn.

"We can't escape from here without some help since you guys are practically powerless and I'm a newb so I asked for some help. Now suck it up because they're the only chance we got," May said with a slight snap.

"But how do we get out of here? It's not like we can beat the game, it's not how it's designed," Ash said tiredly.

"You kill the top player," PoisonIvy said.

We looked at her in surprise, even May raised her eyebrows, "How do you figure that?"

"While you reuniting with your lover," he said causing May to look pissed. "We did some digging. Apparently, there's been a really powerful player that's been giving the game grief. The game masters have created a quest to beat him claiming you'll win the game though it's not like you really beat the game."

"That just made no sense," Ash whined in trying to process what was just said.

"A quest was just giving to be the game/most powerful player. You do it, you win," RagingMyst said with a slight snap.

"It's not like we have any other ideas," I sighed. "Okay, where's this player."

"Gilgory Mountain," Icy Taiga answered.

We looked at him stunned, "But that's the most monster ridden place in this game!" Ash complained.

"Suck it up, you want out?" PoisonIvy asked.

The guys didn't answer, "Just so we're clear. After this is over, we're back to being enemies," Gary said sternly.

"Not a problem," PoisonIvy said gruffly as she gave some potions to us before we started walking, "Drink this as we walk, it'll heal your HP."

(May's POV)

We've been walking for a while with Drew and I bringing up the end, "Can you please stop patting my head and touching my ears," I whispered in a whine.

"Can't help it, you look too cute," he teased.

I sighed, "I will be so happy when we are IRL."

"True, it isn't the same kissing and hugging you in the game," Drew admitted.

"Probably cause of the sensors that dull the senses, but you're right, it isn't the same," I agreed as I held Drew's hand.

Drew smiled as he pulled me close and kissed my head making my ears twitch.

"Oi, love birds, we're stopping for a couple hours," Gary hollered.

I rolled my eyes as we caught up with everyone where they began making a makeshift camp site.

"How far are we from the mountain?" I asked.

"Hard to say, about six hours," Misty said as she pulled up the map.

"Seriously? And we've already been walking for four hours already," I whined.

"Can't do anything about it, the map in this game is huge," PoisonIvy answered.

I sighed, "Hey May, do the girls know what's going on?" Ash asked causing Paul to look at me with slight concern.

"I'm not sure," I said slightly lying. "I was already at the gaming tech headquarters when I learned where you were and I dived right in. They probably assume you're gaming since that's all you seem to have been doing for the last couple of weeks."

"What's wrong with that?" Ash asked.

I sighed, it was pointless. Drew was never really in it cause he was busy in dealing with me, bless him, and Paul was able to finally see the light before this whole thing happened. It's gonna take a lot more to shake Ash and Gary, especially Gary. Both he and Leaf were getting obsessed with this game and it was wrecking their relationship.

I mentally sighed, something I seemed to be doing a lot lately, "I'll be back you guys, I'm going to find some more firewood."

"I'll go with you," Drew said as I stood up.

We then walked into the woods, "Okay, what's wrong?" Drew asked.

"What gives you the impression something's wrong?" I asked.

"May, I know you and I don't have to read your aura right now to know something's wrong," he said gently as he lightly tugged my arm to stop me from walking further and turned me to face him.

I gave a small chuckle as a small grin appeared on my face, "I should know that by now, especially after everything we went through," I admitted as I raised my hand and moved some of his hair behind his ear before letting my hand rest on the side of his face.

We then kissed before we continued walking and began to gather firewood, "I guess what concerns me is Ash and Gary being completely absorbed in this game and what it's going to do with their relationship with Misty and Leaf."

"What about Paul?" Drew asked.

A small smile appeared on my face, "Thankfully he was able to see the light before this happened and he and Dawn have made amends. and I wasn't really concerned about him because I knew he would have enough common sense to know that what he was doing was hurting Dawn."

"May, when you said that the girls didn't know, were you lying?" Drew asked.

I said nothing as I couldn't break the confidence the girls trusted me with.

"Let me put it this way, twitch your ears twice if you were lying earlier," he said.

I twitched my ears twice causing him to sigh, "What are the girls doing?" he asked.

I stayed silently, "Are the girls playing the game?" Drew asked.

I twitched my ears twice, "I wonder if they even know how to play?" Drew wondered aloud.

Again I twitched my ears twice causing Drew to look at me in surprise, "Have they been playing for a while?"

Once again, I twitched my ears twice, "Well that gives me some hope, maybe they can help us," he said in thought. "Hopefully they don't know about the in dive tech in attempts to pull us out."

I froze and sighed, "Wait a minute, they dived in too?!" he asked surprised.

"What do you expect? We love you guys too much to have you in harm's way. Mew knows how many times you risked your ass to save mine and it's time I returned the favor," I said slightly defensive.

Drew sighed as he hugged me, "I have no doubt that nothing would have stopped you, but I still don't like the circumstances surrounding you diving using tech that hasn't even been tested."

"I don't either, but I had no choice. I'd do anything to save you. Besides, we still have a lot of dates to make up for," I teased as I kissed him.

He kissed me back before we continued to gather more wood, "Back to the girls, are they nearby?" Drew asked.

I twitched my ears twice, "Have I met them?" he asked slightly suspicious.

Again, I twitched my ears twice causing Drew's eyes to widen, "Are we traveling with them?"

I looked at him and he sighed knowing from looking at me that the answer was yes.

"This whole time, that's who they were?! Really?" Drew asked surprised.

"They were going for the whole revenge by kicking-your-ass sorta theme and it backfired which is why they haven't played in a while. They were/are very paranoid about being caught which is why when they are near you guys, they use a gender changing potion to disguise themselves. This whole thing makes me worried about Gary, Ash, Misty, and Leaf, especially Leaf and Gary. This could break them apart," I said worried causing me to hug the wood I collected to my chest.

Drew came up to me and pulled me into a side hug while kissing my forehead, "I don't think that'll be the case."

"You don't understand Drew. Leaf is so torn up inside by all of this because she feels that Gary no longer knows she exists. Hell, it's her birthday damn it. She even bet everything that Gary wouldn't even remember," I ranted.

"Maybe they need this to shock their relationship, especially for Gary to appreciate what he will lose if he doesn't snap out of it," Drew said. "Our relationship had that shock a few months."

I slumped a little in remembering the painful memory, "But you were aware of me constantly and we loved each other and still do. Their situation is different and I'm afraid it's going to blow up disastrously."

Drew hugged me close, "Everything will turn out alright in the end. Remember, not all relationships aren't perfect. It just doesn't work that way."

I nodded, "Thanks for that, I just hope you're right."

I could sense Drew smirking, "You know I'm right."

"Hey Drew, ever since you've been in the game, have you been able to use any spells or fighting skills?" I asked.

He shook his head, "We've tried everything, but I guess since we aren't logged in a player, we don't have access to do anything."

I nodded as I saw a boulder nearby and placed my twigs on the ground. Guess it's time to put that spell to use.

"Ral hail sih il fiet cee kul rain fil sig fih," I chanted as I shot my magic into the boulder.

It glowed and rumbled a little before the light faded and a crevice was made.

"Go and look," I said as I gathered my wood.

Drew walked over and stuck his hand in a crack that was made. He then pulled out a sword.

As Drew pulled it out, a popup appeared before me describing the sword I created, "Its name is Lover's Spellblade, a unique sword forged by me. It has the ability Ethereal Shift which allows your sword to phase through any weapon or shield that tries to block your attack. Now I know you don't have any skills accessible to you, but all that training we've done has to count for something, shouldn't it?" I teased slightly as Drew read the info about the sword.

"I don't think I've ever come across a sword this good," he said surprised.

I snorted lightly, "I doubt that. I just feel more comfortable if you had something to protect you."

"I don't care, this sword means a lot. Hopefully, I can keep it after we get out of here," Drew said as he attached it to his side. "Don't you have a weapon?"

I sighed, "Unfortunately no. My avatar doesn't have fighting skills only healing and magic, not to mention what I'm wearing is highly inappropriate for combat which pisses me off," I said slightly annoyed as Drew picked up his wood and walked over to me.

"Then I'll make sure to fight for the both of us. Plus, a princess is supposed to have a protector," he teased.

"I guess you'll have to do," I responded playful with a smirk before smiling sincerely. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Drew smiled as we kissed for the umpteenth time. We started to make out when a message showed up in my field of vision.

"It's Leaf threatening to kill us both if we don't come back soon," I said with a sigh.

"We should get back anyway, we need to try and get some rest before we continue traveling," Drew pointed out.

"Hey Drew," I said as continued to walk back. "Can you not tell the guys what I didn't tell you? I don't want to break my promise to the girls in not telling."

"What did you tell me?" Drew asked playfully causing me to laugh as we made it back to camp.

"What took you so long?" Gary asked.

"I had to talk to Drew about some things," I explained as Ash's eyes widened when looking at Drew's sword.

"Dude, where did you get that?!" he asked.

"May made it," he explained.

"Oh come on, how come you get to fight with a weapon and we can't?" Ash complained.

"Because I know how to fight with one, May and I have been training with au….." Drew started to explain before I kicked his leg to stop him. He couldn't say aura because it give the guys the impression the girls would ask questions.

"You train with what?" Misty asked.

"Authentic like weapons, but most of the time we train with wooden replicas," I said covering for Drew.

"Really, why?" Dawn asked playing along.

"We're kinda martial art enthusiasts, me more than him," I explained.

"That's cool. Anyway, you guys should get some rest, we'll keep watch," Leaf said.

We nodded and laid down on the ground to sleep. After a while, we began trekking to Gilgory Mountain.

"Why do I get the feeling this powerful player likes the dark side?" I muttered as we began to walk through a creepy looking forest.

"Cause he placed his hideout in such a creepy place," Ash answered.

"I know that, but I'm getting this vibe that's giving me the creeps," I shivered.

I then sensed movement, "We've got incoming monsters," I called.

The girls then looked alive and got out their weapons, "Drew, protect Creatura and the others," Leaf shouted as she and the girls rushed to attack the monsters that come into view.

Drew pulled out Spellblade and held it out ready to attack if anything came close. Feeling slightly nervous, I started to chant for a protective shield.

"Don't use you magic May, conserve it for later. I can handle this," Drew said a monster came out.

He then rushed forward and began to slash at it. After a couple hits, the monster was killed and disappeared.

After that, we didn't see anymore and the girls came back, "We're fine at the moment so we should keep moving," Leaf said.

Drew sheathed Spellblade and we began walking again coming across more monsters the further we walked.

"Hopefully that's the last of them before we hit this player," Drew muttered.

I hoped Drew was right, "I don't get it. How can this player take residence here without having to worry about being attacked by monsters."

"Because they are under my control," a voice chuckled evilly.

We looked up to see on the cliff side a figure clad in fancy medieval clothing, "I take it you're the powerful player everyone keeps talking about?" Leaf asked.

"Yes and I must say that it is amazing to have this much power and finally claim that status so I've made myself Lord of the Netherworld," he proclaimed egotistically.

"Great, a moron who's full of himself," Dawn sweatdropped.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I have better things to do," he said. "I'll leave my minions for you to play with."

He then turned and left and monsters began to appear, "Great," Paul muttered.

"Stay to that corner, we'll handle them," Leaf directed as she began to shot arrows with enchantments attached.

Drew also joined the fray leaving me to defend the others. I chanted for a shield and then began focusing on magical attacks.

After a while, I began to notice the girl's avatars to shift to their original ones.

"Ivy, I thought the potion we took was supposed to last a day!" Dawn shouted.

"It is, it must have been diluted making it less effective," Leaf shouted back.

"What are you talking about?" Gary shouted as the girls got pushed back into a corner with us.

They didn't say anything til their avatars reverted back to normal causing the guys excluding Drew to look at them in shock.

"Icy, use your trump card," Leaf shouted.

"Are you kidding me?! I don't have enough magic to do it!" she snapped as she continued to throw knives.

"We don't have a choice. Icy, start chanting. Myst, start healing us. Creatura, drop your shield and chant the support magic spell with me and aim it at Icy!" Leaf ordered.

I dropped the shield and began chanting along with Leaf as Dawn chanted her spell. Her form then changed to make her look like a huge two footed monster with a snout, horns, and a tail.

"Holy Shit!" Ash shouted as Dawn roared and began to attack the monsters by swiping, stomping, and eating 'em.

After a minute or two, the monsters were gone and Dawn reverted to her original form.

"What form did I take this time?" she asked.

"A Satyr with a tail and you ate people this time," Leaf reported.

"Lovely, then again, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast," Dawn remembered.

I noticed the guys still gawking, "Y…..you were those guys, the whole time?!" Ash spluttered.

Leaf and Misty rolled their eyes, "Well we had to come up with some way to get back at you assholes for ignoring us," Leaf spat.

"Excuse me?!" Gary shouted.

"Enough!" I shouted stepping in-between, "We don't have time to argue. We need to focus on the game."

"No, I want to talk about this now!" Gary said angrily. "What the hell Leafy?! How could you do that to us?"

Leaf frowned, "I had to find some way of kicking your ass since you've been acting as if I don't exist."

"Come on Leafy, you had no right to do that," he argued.

"Really? Last time I checked, I could do whatever I wanted in my free time," she pointed out.

"Yes, but not backstab me with this game," he said angrily. "Come on, you knew this game was important to me."

Leaf gave a mocking laugh, "Of course I did, you spent so much time with it, you don't even notice me anymore."

"Really? Leaf you should have said something. Hell, if I knew you played, we could have done more gaming," Gary offered.

"No, you wouldn't have. Remember when you would looking for people to be in your party that one time, you told me you didn't need my help because I wouldn't know how to play. It wasn't about me, it was about this stupid game. You became so obsessed with this game that it's taken over your life even after PoisonIvy stopped appearing," Leaf said angrily.

"No it hasn't, I just wish you'd quit being bitchy and get off my back about it. I don't even know why you bothered to jump in to here if hate the game so much!" Gary shouted.

"Because I love you and I wanted to save your stupid ass, but apparently I was mistaken. Since I'm a nuisance to you, I can assume that our relationship doesn't matter as this game takes more precedence. Well, you don't have to worry anymore about choosing between me and the game," Leaf answered stiffly.

"Leaf, what are you saying?" Gary asked slightly suspicious and worried.

Leaf gave him an expressionless look, "Because we're done."

I looked at her in shock as well as everyone else, "You can't be serious?" Gary said stunned.

"I am," she answered seriously.

"Leaf…." Gary started saying, but I cut him off.

"I've been thinking about it for a week now. It's pains me to say this Gary because I've been one of your best friends since we were kids and you were the first one I fell for, but if you can't treat me right, I can't stay in a relationship with you. We're done and since you don't have any annoyances, you can spend your time on the game when we get out," she stated as she looked at the rest of us. "We should get moving. We need to take this guy out."

She then chanted a spell to propel herself to a nearby cliff ledge making her way in the direction the player went.

"Drew…." I murmured as he came up and squeezed my hand in comfort.

"I didn't expect that, but I can understand why she did," he said sympathetically.

* * *

**Ari: I bet ya'll wanna kill me now, but if you do that, how will the story finish? I'll try to update as soon as I can. Pray to the gods of inspiration and motivation to help me update faster. Til next time!**


	29. Leaf's Final Stand

**Ari: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update, laziness got the best of me. Paul, you're up.**

**Paul: Why?**

**Ari: I'm too tired to explain my reasoning.**

**Paul: Fine, schoolmouse33 doesn't own pokemon.**

**Ari: Only my tired self...ROLL FILM!**

* * *

**_November 21st (Inside the game: Sword of Destiny)_**

(Leaf's POV)

I left so no one could see me crying. It took everything in me not to cry when I told him those dreaded words. I didn't want to break up with him, but after what he said to me, it was the last straw. He made his choice and I made mine.

I wiped my tears as I began chanting seeking spells in attempts to find clues as to where that egotistic maniac went.

"Leaf!" I heard someone shout and saw that it was May.

My spells then revealed footprints as to where the King of Dumbasses went, "The moron took off in this direction," I told her while pointing.

"Leaf, are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"I'm fine," I lied as I started following the path of footprints that appeared from my spell.

May pulled me back and gave me an angry look, "Don't lie to me, you are far from okay," she scolded.

"Look, we have bigger things to worry about than me breaking up with Gary, we need to move," I said as I shook my arm out of her grasp.

"No, we're discussing this now. Look, I know your upset, but was it wise to do this now?" May asked.

"Like I said, I thought about this for a week and what he said was the final straw. If I didn't do it now, I would have lost my nerve later. Now can we please drop it," I said as I noticed Dawn helping everyone else up the cliff with a spell.

May gave me a look saying that our discussion wasn't over, but stayed quiet as I continued ahead to follow the moron's footprints.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I helped the guys up the cliff as Leaf ran off, "She's continuing to scout the moron's footprints," May reported.

I nodded as we continued to follow in the direction Leaf took off in, but I was pulled back to be at the end of the group.

"All this time, you've been playing this game?" Paul asked.

"Surprise," I said weakly with a forced smile. "I wouldn't have disguised if I was by myself, but Leaf was paranoid about being found out so I followed her lead. I was going to tell you, I swear!"

Paul looked into my eyes and I hoped he could see the truth I was trying to convey. He then pulled me forward and kissed me, "I believe you," he said causing me to hug him back in relief.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

Paul sighed as he returned my hug, "I suppose I deserved it."

"Do you think we can forget the game for a while when we get out?" I asked.

Paul gave a small smile, "I think we can manage that."

* * *

(Misty's POV)

I looked behind to see Dawn and Paul hugging with small smiles on their faces. I inwardly grinned happy that Dawn was still able to reconcile with Paul.

"Mist?" Ash asked.

"What?" I asked slightly annoyed.

"Why did you play behind our backs?" he asked.

"Didn't you catch Leaf's answer?" I retorted.

"I want to hear it from you," he said.

"Fine, we played to get back at you for ignoring us," I answered bluntly.

Ash frowned slightly, "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"Would you have done anything if I did?" I retorted.

Ash stayed silent, "Are you planning on breaking up with me too?" he asked after a minute of silence.

I looked at him surprised as my frown faded and I sighed, "No, I'm mad at you ignoring me, but not enough to break up with you."

He looked at me as if he wanted an explanation for my answer, "I know that it's your personality to put all your effort into doing something you're passionate about, but you never forget about the ones you care about in the end."

Ash then surprised me by hugging me tightly, "I'm so sorry I hurt you Mist," he apologized deeply. "I promise to never play a video game again."

I gave a slight laugh as I returned the hug, "I doubt you could completely give up computer games," I teased. "But I appreciate the thought. Maybe you could give up this game for a few weeks?"

"Done," Ash answered quickly as he hugged me back. "And I'll make sure to never leave you alone."

"Hold your Rapidash Ash, some of that time you have to train with your pokemon. You've been neglecting them as much as me and you can't become a pokemon master without training with them," I teased as I pulled away, but still stayed in his embrace.

Ash then looked at me with loving eyes before he stroked the side of face and kissed me, "I really am sorry for not paying attention," Ash apologized.

I kissed him back, "I forgive you on one condition," I said causing him to look at me worriedly.

I then smiled, "That you take me to the new aquarium opening in Dewford Town next weekend."

"It's a date," Ash said with a goofy grin causing me to laugh as we continued walking.

"Something's coming!" May alerted.

"A lot of somethings," Dawn clarified as we saw a hoard of monsters come our way.

I then pushed Ash behind me, "I'm kinda wishing Leaf didn't run off," I muttered as I summoned my weapon.

"We can't do much about it," Dawn said as she prepared to throw her knives.

I was about to charge when I felt Ash pull me back, "Please be careful."

I gave a small smile and kissed his cheek, "I'll be okay, stay here," I said gently before I ran towards the hoard of incoming monsters.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

After a while, I finally stopped at a metal doorway that almost looked like a sliding door for a lab.

"Now this looks like something that shouldn't be here," I muttered as I looked back to see if the others had caught up to me, but I didn't see them.

"What's taking them so long?" I huffed as I sent Dawn a message.

After sending it, a monster came out and walked along the cliff's edge. Taking the chance, I raced inside before the door closed.

I looked around to see it looked almost like the hallways of In-Tech Labs, "Now this is creepy," I muttered.

I then used dark magic to hide myself as I snuck my way further into the building. While doing so, I was worried because Dawn hadn't responded to my message. I then reached the end of hallway where there was a single door. Suddenly I heard voices and took decided it was better to hide on the other side of the door than in the hallway. I slipped into the dark room and shut the door when lights appeared causing me to cover my eyes in trying to adjust to the light.

"Ah, so nice of you to make it. You are the last person to arrive," the moron said pleased.

I looked in shock to see everyone had been captured and was chained to the walls around me. I looked at their HP bars to see that they had taken a lot of damage and were at risk of dying.

"Let them go," I shouted as I grabbed an arrow and prepared to shoot.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I have a purpose for you all in which I need you alive," the guy explained.

"Why do I get the feeling that the master quest of killing the top player was a lie to draw us here," I accused.

"Because it is. You see, I had your bodies, but I also needed your minds. Unfortunately when you logged into the game, you became too powerful so I had to draw you to my lair somehow and then I took your friend's HP levels to almost zero to keep them contained," he explained.

My eyes then widened at realization in who I was talking to, "Why do you want us Dr. Larkin?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well now, you're a lot a smarter than I gave you credit for," Dr. Larkin said slightly surprised.

"Shut up, you didn't answer my question," I snapped.

"Well, since you stand no chance in escaping, I don't see why not," Dr. Larkin said with a shrug. "You see, I've been wanting to obtain the powers of pokemon and control them, but not through the pokemon, but through humans. When I saw your fight this past spring, I realized that I what I wanted could be obtained. So I have continued to research in how to make this possible, but have been unsuccessful so I decided I needed to test on the subjects that went through this before."

He then grinned evilly, "Then I will be able to control these powers for myself and get what I deserve."

"The hell you're gonna get away from that!" I shouted angrily.

"Eck dri sil fury!" I shouted as I shot my arrow straight up.

The arrow then multiplied and attacked the restraints on everyone.

I then switched out my bow and quiver for my staff, "Heal!" I shouted as I swiped my staff horizontally.

I then watched as everyone's HP gauges gained some points, but it filled a quarter of the way and it still didn't wake them up.

"Why aren't they waking up?" I asked aloud to no one.

Dr. Larkin laughed, "They're in a comatose state. There's no way you can wake them up."

My eyes shrank in fear as I watched my friend's stay slumped on the floor.

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you myself!" I shouted as I changed back to my bow and quiver.

I then began to shot arrows at him, but they weren't phasing him. I tried chanting all the attack spells that I had, but the more I chanted, the more my magic power drained. Dr. Larkin also began to attack me with spells that caused my HP to fall.

"I can't give up," I muttered as I tried to rise to my knees and chant again.

Half way through, I was hit with another attack that caused pain to shoot up making me scream and I suffered the backfire effect from not completing my spell, which also added to my pain.

"What's happening?!" I shouted in panicked tone.

Dr. Larkin laughed causing me to glare at him.

"I've lowered the pain resister so now you can feel pain from any attack you're hit with," Dr. Larkin said with a psychotic grin on this face.

He then hit me with another spell causing me to scream in pain as the resister was dropped further and my HP was one-third full.

I couldn't chant anymore spells, my magic power was zilch. I tried to get on my knees and shot my bow, but again I was hit with attacks. I felt myself begin to panic.

"No, not now," I rasped in fear as I tried to slow my breathing down.

I saw a red sign flash before my eyes saying I was in danger from my high heartrate.

I was hit with another attack and felt my HP bar almost equal nothing.

"Arceus…..help me!" I cried as I began to see black.

"_I can, but there is a price_," I heard him say as I looked and saw nothing but black.

"I know the price, take it," I said as I touched my hair.

"_It is not enough for what you need. It has to be something that must be equivalent to the power you seek_," he explained.

"What the hell?! You gave Dawn her power in exchange for her hair," I retorted.

"_Because it was something she truly treasured above all else. You would not care making it not worth the equivalent to the power you seek_."

I nodded my head from side to side in exasperation. He did have a point, I could care less if my hair was short or long. When Dawn offered it, she had to think about it, but I would have done it in a heartbeat making it not equivalent to the power I need to kick Dr. Larkin's ass. But if I couldn't give up my hair, what else could I give?

After a few seconds in thought, I stood in anxiety as I touched near my eye.

"_Yes, that would be the price for the power you wish_," Arceus said confirming my thought.

If I gave them up, I would be worthless because I would not be able to do anything. I sighed, if May could do it, so can I. Besides, I have no other options, it's this or die.

"Is the period of loss the same?" I asked.

"_Yes_."

I took a deep breath and let it out, "In exchange for power, I give you my eyes," I said loudly.

I then saw the familiar pendent from last spring, "But what about…..?" I began to ask confused.

"_The exchange will take place after the battle, unless you wish….._" Arceus stated.

"I'll wait," I said quickly as I placed the pendent over my neck and felt power surge through me as my outfit changed. I needed my eyesight while I could because I would fail without it.

I then began to focus my power in getting me out of the game. I felt myself lift high, but I then hit what felt like a barrier.

"Let….me…OUT!" I screamed as I used all the power I had to break through.

I then opened my eyes to see the gaming rig on my head and tried to move. I felt straps on my wrist and used Psyshock to break them. Then I yanked the helmet off me and threw it away from me as far as I could.

"What…..the…?! She's awake?! But how?!" I heard a familiar voice shout angrily.

I yanked all the wires and tubes connected to me off and I looked at the voice causing him to smile in excitement.

"Yes! It's happening again!" he said excitedly.

I wasted no time, I started attacking everything and everyone. I felt like I was on a whole 'nother level; that my emotions were at an all-time high. I was angry, upset, sad, and heartbroken. This stupid game, it was the cause of everything!"

I let Pyscho-Cut again and again as I felt tears run down my face in frustration.

I heard Dr. Larkin laugh like a maniac and I used Agility to get close before punching him in the face as hard as I could.

I then continued to attack everyone in the facility and render them unconscious. After making sure everyone was knocked out, I went back to the main hall where I woke up and climbed the main stairwell to a second floor loft where a bunch of computers were set up. I erased the all the data Dr. Larkin and his creeps had gathered, erased any video footage, and figured out how to log out everyone safely. Thankfully during my rampage, they were not injured from any attacks or fallen debris. I felt my power drain from me.

"_Now, you must pay the price_," I heard Arceus say as I quickly saw my compowder and grabbed it just as I felt horrible pain from my eyes being stabbed. I cried from the pain as blood flowed out from my sockets. I quickly used Heal Pulse to stop the bleeding and tried to think of a plan. I did NOT want to see anyone right now, especially Gary, but where could I go? Plus, I had to come up with an explanation for my blood on the floor.

I felt around for a piece of scrap metal. Once I grabbed something and felt it was sharp enough, I made a cut on my arm and had a little of my blood drop into the pool on the floor. I then ripped on shirt and made a make shift bandage for my forearm to stop the bleeding. I grabbed my compowder and disabled the video camera as I called Clair.

"_Finally someone answers! Leaf, what is going on_?" Clair asked exasperated. "_We've been trying to reach you all for hours_!"

"We were caught up in something. Send a squad over to arrest some scientists doing illegal research and have transportation for everyone to be sent to the hospital to be checked over," I explained. "I have something I need to do, I'll see you later."

"_Lea…_" Clair started to say, but I hung up and pressed the tracker button to give Clair my coordinates.

I sent my poketch on the ground and had enough energy to teleport away to school to my room where I felt my pokeballs before using the last of my power to teleport elsewhere where it was raining and I feel unconscious.

* * *

**_November 22nd (Viridian Forest)_**

(May's POV)

I felt myself being shaken gently causing me to open my eyes slowly and blink to focus my vision. I sat up and noticed a lab of sorts that looked trashed.

"How are you feeling?" I heard someone ask.

I looked to see it was Clair, "I'm okay, where's….?" I asked looking around.

"Drew!" I said loudly as I got up and stumbled to him as he sat on his bed.

I then attacked him with a hug, which he returned fiercely.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm alright," I said as I shifted myself so I could sit next to him.

I looked ahead to see that Dawn and Misty had attacked Paul and Ash with hugs as well while Gary looked around.

"Where's Leaf?" he asked worried.

"She's not here, we're not sure where she is," Clair reported.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Gary asked angrily.

Clair frowned at him, "As I said, we don't know. She called for help and said she had to take care of something."

I looked around, "I wonder what happened in here? This place got thrashed."

"That's what I would like to know," Clair said slightly miffed. "We can't find any data or video footage anywhere."

"Hey boss, there's blood up here!" an agent shouted.

"Take samples and run it against our database," Clair ordered before turning back to us. "Now will someone please tell me what happened to you?"

We all looked at each other and told Claire what we knew.

"I see," she said after we finished explaining. "So you have no idea what happened after you were ambushed?"

We shook our heads causing Clair to sigh, "I wish Leaf didn't run off."

"Hey boss, we got results!" the agent from before shouted.

"Whose blood is it? One of the scientists?" Clair asked.

"No, it's Agent Green's," he said causing all of us, especially Gary, to look worried.

"Now I really want to know what's going on?" Clair muttered.

We then heard a soft psychotic laugh get louder, "My theory was correct! People can obtain pokemon powers!"

"What are you babbling about asshat?" Dawn asked annoyed.

"She used Psycho-Cut and Agility, it was glorious," Dr. Larkin said with glee.

We stared at him with wide eyes til Gary rushed up to him and lifted him up by the front of his lab coat.

"Where is she?" Gary asked angrily.

"Gary, stop!" Clair shouted as two agents separated Gary from Dr. Larkin.

I looked at Drew worried before I laid my head on his shoulder. Leaf, where are you?

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I felt myself being nudged and tried to open my eyes to see. When I did so, I saw nothing and the rain was irritating my eyes.

"Espy?" Espeon said worriedly.

"Thank goodness," I said as I hugged my pokemon fiercely as I felt myself shake from the cold.

"Espeon, what does it look like outside? Can you see anything?" I asked.

"_We are in a forest somewhere_," she said telepathically.

I nodded, "We need to find shel….*achoo*..ter!" I sneezed.

I then began coughing badly causing Espeon to moan worriedly.

"Go see *cough cough* if you can find *cough cough* help," I said as I felt myself begin to feel woozy.

I then began to fall and saw black.

After a while, I felt myself become awake and noticed it wasn't raining anymore and that I was dry.

"Well now, look who decided to grace us with your presence," I heard an old lady cackle.

"Where am I asked?" I asked as I felt my face to see that my eyes were covered with a bandage.

"Eh, in a batty old lady's cottage in a forest near Route 17," the woman cackled as I coughed.

"You sure are a beat up thing. What happened to yus? You sure had damage to your eyes," she stated sternly.

"I ran into something," I lied gruffly as I tried to sit up, but was too dizzy to do so.

"No need to get up missy, you's in no position to do so," she reprimanded.

I sighed as I felt wiggled back into the bed, "What's your name missy?" the lady asked.

"Leaf," I said tiredly. "What's yours?"

"Oh, most folks call me the crazy lady or the witchy lady, but you can call me Vera," she said with a cackle.

I felt myself smile as I felt a something light jump up on my bed and mewed softly as they rubbed their face on my side.

"I'm okay Espeon," I said as I pet her head.

"So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Vera asked.

"I don't really know, I was teleported here," I said tiredly.

"Well, you got Arceus written all over yus. No doubt he's responsible for your lack of eyesight," Vera muttered.

I felt myself stiffen in shock, "How the hell did you…..?!"

"I know things," Vera said in a mystified tone. "I'm a soothsayer you could say and you might say that I'm like you."

"But how…..?" I started to ask confused.

"Well, I'm blind myself and I see you have an aura about you that is touched by a godly presence," she said.

"But….?" I said again.

"I may be blind, but I'm in tune to people and nature's spirituality, helps me see," she explained.

"How long have you been blind?" I asked.

"Oh, quite a few years, but I've learned to adapt and I think I'm better off without my eyes," she said.

I turned my face in the direction of her voice, "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I've come to understand nature better and my other senses have sharpened. I've also taken up medicine and help folks who aren't afraid to see me."

I then heard a 'nuz nuzleaf'.

"Ah Nuzleaf, did you find it?" Vera asked.

There were a few seconds of silence, "Oh good, get me those plants in the corner and I'll whip this medicine up."

"What medicine?" I asked.

"For them eyes of yours," she said as I heard chopping and pounding.

"Was it hard…adjusting to life without your eyes?" I asked.

"It was at first and I was bitter, but then I started to realize that Arceus had other plans for me," Vera explained.

"May I ask as to how you lost your sight?" I asked quietly.

"I was sick with Scarlet Fever when I was 14 and the fever got so bad that it took my sight. For the longest of time, I was angry with the world and with Arceus because of what happened. I was destined to be one of the best trainers out there, but with the loss of my sight, I began to lose and grew more and more angry with everything and everyone. I almost lost my pokemon because of my anger. Then one day, I was seething in a forest over a battle I lost and I heard a voice call out to me saying that fighting was not my given purpose. That I was destined for greater things than being a trainer," Vera explained.

"Arceus said that?" I asked.

"Yes," Vera answered.

"Did you give up training all because he said that? We aren't governed by pokemon," I argued.

"That is true, but the legendaries protect us and help guide in the right direction. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith when listening to their words. We think it strange and not right to listen and follow what legendary pokemon say, but we need to remember that what legendaries do is to help find the path that helps bring balance to the world between humans and pokemon and humans can accomplish this sometimes better than pokemon. We all have a part to play," Vera said wisely.

I took what she said and pondered it. She did have a point, despite it being strange that we follow legendary pokemon, they do their best to provide protection, harmony, and balance to the world shared between pokemon and humans.

"I take it you followed his words?" I asked.

Vera cackled, "Nope, I told him to take a hike and that he wasn't the boss of me. It wasn't til a year later when I was in a position like you where I was sick as well as having a broken leg and did not know where I was. A woman by the name of Suki helped bring me back to health. As I was recuperating and the longer I was around her, my hard façade faded away til I sobbed the truth that I felt weak and helpless because of my condition. Suki told me that my condition was not a hindrance and a weakness, but a strength as my other senses sharpened and I could learn to see things that no one else could. In time, she showed me the way that Arceus wanted us to live as well as the way of medicine from the land and I became her apprentice. Today, I look back on the day Arceus told me I was destined for great things and he was right. Since I learned the way of medicine, I've saved many lives over the years, more than I would have done from continuing to be a trainer wanting to do nothing, but win."

I smiled, "That's an amazing story Vera, but how were you able to live in a forest and not see?" I asked curiously.

She laughed, "It was not easy at first. Actually, it was very frustrating. When I was first blind, I relied on my pokemon to help guide me so I would not bump into anything. When I was with Suki, she would not have it, she said I had to learn to fend and see for myself. It was all the more harder when I had to learn all the different herbs and their properties. Arceus, those were dark days," she muttered. "Eventually, I learned to use my other senses to understand my surroundings and to see."

"So how do you see with your other senses?" I asked.

"My other senses have become stronger so I can smell, hear, and touch more sensitively. In a way, I feel more in tune with nature and the world than I've ever been," Vera explained as she came over and began to unwrap the bandage covering my eyes.

"I see," I said aloud in thought. "No pun intended."

Vera cackled as she started to put goop on my eyes, "Come on, I feel you have quite an interesting story to tell."

* * *

**_November 24th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(May's POV)

The bell rang ending school and I walked out of the classroom with Drew. We then ran into everyone else and we made our way back to the house.

"Thank goodness for the weekend," Dawn exasperated.

"I second that. This week has been a sucker for Calc. I don't think I'll be able to do look at numbers ever again," Ash said tiredly. "Why do we need to learn Calc again?

I shook my head with a small grin, "Because it's helpful in calculating things in life and it helps you on your missions."

"That's what computers are for," Ash muttered. "They're supposed to do the calculating for you."

"Relax Ash," Misty said as she pecked his cheek. "At least Ms. Hiller didn't assign any homework to do over the weekend."

"Thank Mew for small favors," he muttered as he took a hold of Misty's hand as we continued walking.

"Thank goodness we don't have a lot of homework in general, now we can use our time to find Leaf," Dawn added. "I sure hope she's doing okay."

Paul took her hand and squeezed it, "I'm sure she's fine Dawn. From what Clair told us, she said she had something to take care of and the amount of blood that we found means she wasn't seriously wounded," I reassured.

I then looked over to Gary who looked pensive and worried, and I couldn't blame. After Leaf, broke up with him in the game and then disappearing right afterwards, he didn't get a chance to try and work things out.

As we got closer to the house, I sensed the aura of a person. Two seconds later, I was able to identify it causing me to break into a run.

"May? Where are you going?" Drew shouted.

"Sense the house!" I shouted back as I continued to run.

Soon Drew followed my lead causing everyone else to run.

I burst in the door, "Leaf? Where are you?" I shouted.

Soon everyone came in as I started to walk around trying to find her.

"Leaf!" everyone started shouted.

I then heard soft thumps from upstairs, "Geez, do you guys have to shout so loud," Leaf complained grumpily as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Leaf!" the girls and I shouted as Dawn attacked her with a hug.

"Dawn…..killing…me….," Leaf gasped as Dawn hugged her tightly.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized as Leaf went into a coughing spaz causing us to look at her worriedly.

"I'm fine. I'm just recovering from a cold," she said tiredly once she stopped coughing.

"Where were you?" I asked. "What happened after we separated in the game?"

"I don't know. I blacked out cause of a glitch in the game and when I woke up, I noticed the place was a wreck. In investigating, I cut my arm on a piece of metal. After making a make shift bandage, I called Clair for help and then forgot I had to do a favor for a friend so I left my compowder there for Clair to find you guys. While running my errand, I ran through a storm and caught a cold. It got bad so I checked into a Pokemon Center for a few days to try and heal up to point where I could travel again," Leaf explained.

I scanned her aura showing signs of slight anxiety and tiredness as Leaf sighed, "Look, I have a wicked headache so I'm going back to bed."

She then went to her room and I looked at everyone else. They looked at me with a frown, "You don't believe her, do you?" Misty asked.

I frowned and sighed as I looked upstairs, "Not in the slightest."

* * *

**Ari: Again, sorry for the late update, but laziness is really hitting me hard with this story. No worries though, it will be completed! Til the next update, stay awesome!**


	30. Repairing Bridges

**Ari: Hooray! I finally finished this chapter.**

**Drew: After the longest of time.**

**Ari: Can't be helped, I had some writer's block, but more or least it's all my homework that's killing me. Anyway, Drew you get to do the disclaimer today.**

**Drew: Why?**

**Ari: You're the only one here.**

**Drew: Fine, schoolmouse33 doesn't own pokemon, just her pile of homework.**

**Ari: Sad, but true...ROLL FILM!**

* * *

**_November 25th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)_**

(Dawn's POV)

I stretched as I began to wake up from sleeping in. I looked over to my clock to see that it was 10:00.

"Dang I slept in late," I muttered as a blue-feathered lump began to move before sitting up and yawned.

"Morning Piplup," I said pleasantly as I ran my hand through my hair and noticed it was rumpled like bed head much to my disgust.

"Pip Piplup?" Piplup asked preparing to use Bubble Beam on my hair.

"It's not necessary Piplup, I'll just stick it in a messy bun," I said as I grabbed a ponytail before exiting my room.

As I made my way to the kitchen, I noticed a pleasant aroma of breakfast foods. I went into the kitchen and saw that the guys were making breakfast as I gathered up my hair to put it in a messy bun to get it out of my face.

"Wow, I never expected you guys to be making food. Normally it's May that does all the cooking," I said surprised as I took a seat next to May and across from Misty.

"I know, but I'm not complaining," May said as Paul appeared and gave me a mug that contained coffee.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile as I was surprised.

I took a sip and was surprised that there was hazelnut coffee creamer added making my eyes widen.

"Where the hell did you get this hazelnut coffee creamer? This stuff is rare to get!" I said as I looked at Paul in surprise.

Paul smirked while Misty looked at me strangely, "It's coffee creamer, it's common everywhere," she said slightly confused.

I gave her a look of horror, "Bite your tongue woman! This is not any ordinary hazelnut coffee creamer. It is the _best_ hazelnut coffee creamer that is unique in taste and can only be found in Emeragrove Town."

"Whatever you say," Misty said with a small smile and raised eyebrow at my antics.

"Here," I said as I reached out my mug. "Try it and become a believer in the heavenly goodness that is rare hazelnut coffee creamer."

"You are official insane this morning," May chuckled as Misty took a sip.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "I stand corrected," she admitted as she handed my mug back.

"Ha!" I said in triumph. "I have gained a follower without the use of Chirper."

Everyone looked at me with either amusement or rolled their eyes, "You really have lost it especially since you're mentioning social media like this this early in the morning," Misty agreed. "But that creamer is really good. Can I have some more?"

She reached out to grab my mug, but I quickly snatched it away, "My precious," I hissed.

"Wow," May mouthed as she took a sip of her drink.

"Shush, you have no right to comment you non-believer of coffee," I snapped.

"That's because it tastes like Camelrupt piss," May retorted. "Congratulations Paul, you've made your girlfriend crazy," May called.

"She was crazy to begin with," he commented in reply.

I glared at the both, "Shut up and let me enjoy my coffee."

"Besides May, how would you know what Camelrupt piss tastes like," Drew teased.

May gave him a 'ha-ha-funny' sarcastic face, "Anyway, do you think Leaf is awake? Food should be ready in a few minutes."

"Is it safe to eat?" Misty asked teasingly.

"Ha ha, very funny Mist," Ash retorted.

"I'll go get Leaf when the food's ready. Might as well let her sleep since she doesn't feel good," I said before looking at May." Yesterday you said that you didn't believe Leaf's story, why?"

May sighed, "I just have a gut feeling. Plus her aura showed anxiety when giving her explanation, which gives way to her lying."

"But why would she lie?" Ash asked.

"For the most common reason for lying, she's hiding something," Misty guessed.

"What makes you say that?" Drew asked.

"Women's intuition," Misty, May and I said at the same time before sipping our drinks.

"Really, you're going with women's intuition?" Ash asked.

"Babe, women are complex, emotional beings who can read and sense things that men don't understand," Misty explained.

"In other words, we just know," May summarized.

The guys rolled their eyes and started putting food on the table, "I better go get Leaf," I said as I stood up and trekked upstairs.

"Leaf," I called as I knocked on the door, "you up?"

I didn't hear anything, "I'm coming in," I called as I opened up her door and peeked in.

I looked around to see Leaf still passed out on her bed, "Hey, Leaf," I said as I gently shook her awake.

She grumbled a bit as she blinked her eyes a few times to wake up, "What?" she asked sleepily.

"It's 10:30 and the guys made us breakfast," I explained.

"I'm good," she said tiredly.

I frowned, "I know that it's questionable as to what Ash and Gary made, but you need to eat something."

Leaf grumbled and turned over to go back to sleep, "Too bad Leafy, you don't have a choice," I said as I yanked the covers off and pulled her arm that wasn't bandaged.

"Dawn," Leaf whined.

"Come on," I commanded as I got on her feet.

She quickly grabbed her compowder as I began to drag her to the stairs.

"You can let go," Leaf called.

I let go as we reached the stairs and we both made our way to the table.

"Finally!" May shouted in relief. "You're lucky I snagged some of everything to put on your plate before Ash took it all."

"Thanks," I said as I took my seat missing the brief look of relief on Leaf's face.

I turned to May to see that she was frowning slightly as she shared a look with Drew.

I began to eat and grinned from the taste of everything, "This tastes amazing you guys, thanks for the food," I said thankfully as the girls added their thanks as well.

"You're welcome. We figured we owed you guys for our crappy behavior for the past couple of weeks," Ash explained.

"Are we doing any more training today?" Misty asked.

The guys looked at each other before looking at us, "What training?" Drew asked.

"May's been training us further in hand-to-hand combat," I explained.

"I figured we'd take a break and enjoy the weekend," May decided.

"But we've already slacked off for three days," Misty reminded.

"I know and you're welcome to do training on your own. There just won't be any lessons from me," she answered as she finished her milk.

"Besides, since when was the last time we did anything fun?" I asked.

"What do you propose we do then?" Ash asked.

"Actually, and I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth, I was thinking that us girls could go on a shopping spree," Misty said causing Ash to drop his silverware while we all looked at her in shock.

"You okay Misty? Sure you aren't sick?" Ash asked as he put his hand on her forehead to check to see if she had a fever.

"I'm fine Ashy-boy," Misty said as she gently swatted away Ash's hand. "I'm perfectly sane this morning."

"Some might say otherwise," May pointed out. "Not that I have a problem with that. Dawn?"

Everyone looked at me, but Leaf, "Oddly enough, I'm not really in the mood to go shopping," I said causing more looks of shock.

"Okay, you girls are really out of it. Especially if Misty suggests shopping and Dawn says she's not in the mood," Gary commented.

I rolled my eyes before looking at Leaf, "What do you suggest we do today?" I asked since I wanted to include her in the conversation.

Leaf shrugged her shoulders as her compowder rang. She opened it up and held it like a phone, "Hello?"

"Oh, hey professor. What's up?" she asked.

A few seconds of silence, "No I don't have anything going on. Whatcha need?"

More silence, "I can be there in a few minutes. See ya in a few," she said before she hung up.

"Who was that?" Drew asked.

"Professor Oak, he wants me to help him with something," she said as she finished her juice and got up.

Gary looked like he wanted to say something, but closed his mouth as Leaf went upstairs.

"I suggest you go with her," I said as I finished my pancake.

He looked at me, "If you want her back, you can't let her avoid you. Besides, maybe you'll figure out why she's lying to us."

Gary sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Good ahead Gary, we'll clean up," May said with a smile.

"Nope, we're cleaning," Drew argued as the rest of the guys got up and started to clear the table.

"Are you going to let us do anything?" May asked exasperated.

Drew smirked, "Nope."

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

I went upstairs to change out of my sleepwear into a t-shirt of some kind, jeans, and converse. As I was putting my hair into a braid, I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened up and I heard someone walk in. After a few seconds, the person who walked in said nothing.

"Yes?" I asked hoping for the person to speak so I could identify them.

They still said nothing causing me to sigh because I knew who it was, "What do you want Gary?"

"I'm tagging along with you to see Gramps. Is that okay?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders as I finished my braid, "Doesn't matter to me, he's your relative."

I heard Gary sigh, "Are you going to even talk to me?" he asked.

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" I retorted.

I got up to go to May's room before he could respond, "Hey May, you in there?"

May opened up her door, "Do you mind if Gardevoir teleports us?" I asked as I sensed Gary walk up behind me.

"Sure," she said as I heard her walk away and release Gardevoir.

"Can you teleport Leaf and Gary to the place I'm thinking of?" she asked.

I heard nothing and felt myself being teleported. I then felt a slight change in temperature as we arrived at our destination.

I then let out Espeon so she could help me see, "Oh good, you're here. Glad to see you too Gary, I wasn't expecting you," Professor Oak said surprised.

"I decided to tag along," Gary explained.

"Great, that means we'll get this done a lot faster," Professor Oak said with a grin.

"What exactly do you need help with Gramps?" Gary asked.

"Well, I called Leaf to ask if she could help me feed the pokemon cause Tracy is sick today with a nasty cold," Professor Oak explained. "But since you're here, you can help me conduct checkups on the pokemon."

I heard Gary sigh, "I just had to ask," he said with a slight laugh.

"But it'll get done twice as fast since the both of you are here," Professor Oak said again.

"You can keep saying that all you want Gramps, but you do remember how many pokemon you care for?" Gary retorted.

"True, but Tracy and I covered most of them before he got sick," Professor Oak explained.

"Is the pokemon food where it's usually at?" I interjected.

"Yes, there's a cart in the back with water pokemon food on it all ready for you to distribute."

I was guessing Professor Oak nodded since there was a slight moment of silence before he gave his answer. Dang, how did May put up with being blind for so long?

Espeon then helped guide me to where the cart was and I got to work. After a while with some difficulty, I finished feeding everyone and decided to hide under a tree near the pond while I let my pokemon out to enjoy the ranch.

I then heard something walk towards me with Espeon quickly escaping from my lap to go towards it.

"Espe…" I said but then heard her mew in content meaning she meant up with Umbreon. "Never mind."

I then heard movement as someone sat down near me. After a few minutes, I heard them sighing constantly and it was driving me nuts.

"You can leave if this is bothering you," I said as I was tired of hearing him sighing.

"We have to talk about what happened Leaf. We can't keep doing this," Gary said tiredly.

"Doing what? Last time I checked, I was just sitting here," I retorted.

I heard Gary groan, "You aren't reacting the way I thought you would. I figured you would be cussing me out and try to avoid me, but you're not. Are we still together then?"

"No, I was dead serious when I said I broke up with you," I said flatly. "I guess I just don't have a reason to cuss you outright. I said my piece and I don't have anything thing else to say. Might as well move on."

"Too bad, I don't accept that," Gary said angrily.

"You're gonna have to," I retorted while still not looking at him. "You made your thoughts pretty clear that you cared about the game more than me."

"Leaf, look at me," Gary snapped as I felt him turn my face towards him. "I never said anything of the sort so quit putting words in my mouth. I love you more than a fucking game."

"You sure had a funny way of showing it," I said sarcastically as I ripped myself away from him and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" Gary asked angrily.

"Don't know, don't care. I'm done talking about this," I shouted angrily as I continued to stomp away.

I then heard Gary race up behind me before he grabbed my arm to swing me around to face him.

"Let go," I said angrily as I tried to break free.

"The hell I am. I'm not gonna let you walk away from me again," Gary snapped. "You haven't given me a chance to make up for neglecting you."

"A chance? A CHANCE!" I screamed. "You had a fucking month to correct this problem, but you were obsessed and I sure wasn't going to bitch on you and complain because you would have told me to fuck off."

I could feel tears running down my face as I was angry, "You had many chances to fix this, but you were just too blind to notice."

How ironic, to accuse him of being blind while I was literally just that.

I then ripped my arm from his grasp and turned to walk away, but again he grabbed my arm and swung me into his chest before trapping me in his arms.

"Gary, let go," I said coldly.

I felt his embrace tighten, "Forget it," he said bitterly. "I've seen you walk away from me too many times and I refuse to let you go. I need you to understand how sorry I am in my shitty treatment of you. You of all people should deserve to be treated better than the way I did."

I tried to escape his hug, but the more I tried, the harder I began to cry. I just sobbed and felt my knees go weak causing Gary to bring both us to ground.

"You fucking asshole, do you understand how miserable you made me when all you and guys talked about was that stupid game? I figured in the beginning that you would be into it for a week or two and gave you space, but you never got out of it. That's why the girls and I decided to play the game in an attempt to get revenge by kicking your asses, but it backfired because you never stopped. I gave subtle hints that I was pissed, but again, you were blind to everything so I figured you didn't give a fuck about me anymore."

Gary ran a hand through my hair as he kissed my temple, "I would never not care for you Leaf. I love you too much to do that. It was my mistake in being so wound up with that game and thinking that you didn't mind."

"Normally I wouldn't because you would at least acknowledge me when you were hard core gaming, but you didn't this time. You flat out ignored me," I said quietly.

Gary sighed as he shifted us so that I was sitting sideways on his lap before he continued to run his fingers through my hair, "Never again," he murmured into my hair. "I can't bear the thought of losing you, especially to something as stupid as a game. If I ever get this way again, destroy my laptop."

I gave a small chuckle, "Can I get that in writing?"

I heard Gary's chest rumble with laughter, "I'm tattoo it on my chest if you want."

I laughed a little louder, "I don't think you need to go that extreme," I said before sighing. "You hurt me Gary. More than I can say and it's gonna take a hell of a lot from you to patch things up between us."

I heard Gary sigh in relief, "That's all I need sweetheart," he said before he tilted my head up and kissed me.

Mew I missed him more than anything.

"The names are not necessary," I said once we broke apart with him leaning his forehead on mine.

"Too bad gorgeous, you're gonna have to deal with it," Gary teased as I could sense a smirk on his face before he kissed me again.

Suddenly I felt myself being picked up bridal style causing me to wrap my arms around Gary's neck as he began walking.

"What the hell Gary? I'm perfectly capable of walking," I retorted.

"To bad love, you're getting the royal treatment," he teased again as he kissed me.

I felt my face heat up. In this one instance, I was glad I couldn't see because I probably looked disgusting right now.

I then felt him sitting down again with me in his lap sideways while still holding me.

"Mind telling me why you lied to us yesterday?" he asked after we sat in silence for a while.

I tensed slightly, but quickly relaxed, "What are you talking about?" I asked playing the dumb card.

Gary groaned, "Don't play the dumb card babe, you know what I'm talking about. Why did you lie about what happened a few days ago?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I got out of his lap to sit cross-legged next to him, "What gives you the reason to say that what I said was a lie?" I asked.

Gary sighed, "Leaf, you just tensed a minute ago. Second, you keep answering my question with a question meaning you are stalling. And third, what you said doesn't explain why Dr. Larkin ranting about people using pokemon powers?"

I raised an eyebrow, "You want to take the word of a raving lunatic over me?"

I felt Gary shift his position in where he was across from me and grabbed my upper arms.

"Leaf, he said the way she used Psycho Cut was glorious. _She_. What did you do? What are trying so desperately to hide from me," Gary said sounding upset as he gently ran his hands over my arms.

I said nothing as I tried to move my eyes to look normal causing Gary to move in closer, "Your eyes?" he murmured.

I sighed, "Nothing is given without a price. I paid my dues and I took that asshole down. End of story," I muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Gary asked exasperated as I heard him gasp making me slump slightly knowing that he figured it out.

"Leafy, you didn't…," he pleaded.

I raised my arms and took out my contacts to show him the damage to my eyes making him gasp.

"Leafy, why?" he mumbled sadly as I felt him place his hands on my face and gently used his thumbs to touch near my eyes.

"I had no choice," I sighed. "When I got to Dr. Larkin's hideout, he had you unconscious. I tried to heal you guys, but I couldn't raise your health much. I tried to attack him, but he kept deflecting my attacks and started to throw some of his own while bringing down the pain resistor some."

I hugged my arms remembering the pain, "I was going into a panic attack of where I thought I was going to die. I begged for Arceus to help me and he did. He gave me back my psychic powers like he gave Dawn's and I was able to use my abilities to break out of the game. In a rage, I destroyed everything. The game…..it hurt my friends and it ruined my relationship. I just wanted it all gone and I knocked everyone out so no one could escape. I erased everything so that no one could repeat Dr. Larkin's research and I logged everyone out," I explained.

I started to tear up, "Arceus then stabbed my eyes," I said as I started to cry remembering the pain as Gary pulled me into his arms.

"I couldn't face you guys so I stopped the bleeding to my eyes and cut my arm to give an explanation for the blood on the floor from my eyes. Then I called Clair to help you guys and teleported out to pick up my pokemon before teleporting to the middle of nowhere," I sobbed giving a slight laugh. "It was raining where I got my cold and I passed out near Route 17. A healer living in the woods helped heal me til I returned to the house."

Gary hugged me closer, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so caught up in that stupid game, you would still have your sight."

I sighed as I snuggled closer, "What's done is done, we can't change it. Besides, this is only temporary like Dawn's exchange."

"That still doesn't make it okay," Gary murmured into my hair.

I said nothing as I let him hold me for a while.

"Leaf! Gary!" I heard Professor Oak shout.

"Come on," I said as I got out of Gary's embrace and lent a hand as I stood up. "We better see what he needs."

Gary took my hand and I helped him up. I carefully pocketed my contacts as Gary still held my hand and we walked to the house.

After calming down Professor Oak and explaining my eyes after he freaked, Gary and I finished helping him. Once we finished that, we were given the all-clear to leave for school.

I sighed as we were teleported into my room and I rubbed my temples, "This is going to be a headache," I complained.

"It'll be okay Leaf," Gary said as he pulled me into a side hug and kissed my temple.

"Oh I know, it's just that I'm not looking forward to the screams of panic coming from Dawn," I explained.

"You do have a point," Gary agreed tiredly.

I nodded as we made our way downstairs where Dawn was in the living room with Paul.

"Hey, did everything go okay?" Dawn asked before I heard her slightly scream. "Leaf! What happened?!"

I cringed, "Enough with the screaming, I'm fine," I said as I heard the thunder of people rushing downstairs.

"What's with the screa…..? Leaf, what happened?!" Misty repeated.

"Will you all please shut up so I can explain?" I asked annoyed.

After hearing a shuffle of movements, I told everyone what I told Gary.

"That explains the look of relief Drew and I saw this morning," May murmured.

"Huh?" Ash asked.

"Leaf was worried about coming down to eat because she wouldn't have been able to see what she could eat or grab it for that matter," May explained. "So it helped that I put the food on her plate to begin with."

"You okay Dawn?" Misty asked causing me to wonder what was up with Dawn.

"No, I'm not. What the hell were you thinking?" she said angrily.

I raised an eyebrow, "What are you getting at? It's no different than your situation."

"Yes it is, I didn't give something so important as my sight for getting something with powers," she retorted.

I frowned, "Quit being hypocritical. You put your health on the line when you asked for powers, not just your voice or your hair."

Dawn said nothing, but I assumed that she was still pissed off. I don't get why she's so mad.

"Still though, it's not the best choice you did," May said tiredly.

"Will you all quit bitching," I said angrily. "It was either I lost my sight or my life and the exchange is only for a month."

"Not that all of that is out in the open, I'll leave you alone," I said stiffly as I got up.

I sensed Gary quickly get up after me and helped me upstairs.

* * *

(Dawn's POV)

I watched as Gary helped guide Leaf upstairs. What the hell was that girl thinking?!

"Dawn, you aren't in a place to judge her on her choices," Misty pointed out.

"The hell I'm not! We all should have stopped her!" I said angrily as I got up and started to pace.

"We weren't in a position to do that Troublesome, we were unconscious," Paul reminded me.

"I know that, but….ugh!" I said as I collapsed back into my spot.

"We have to accept what she did. You of all people should know how she must have been in making that decision with a panic attack in the wings," Paul added.

"I know. It's just….when May lost her sight, she could rely on her aura and training to see. Leaf doesn't have any of that. All she sees is complete darkness," I said sadly as I bought up my knees to hug them.

"We'll help her get by in the meantime. As for the special training I had, it might be a good idea to teach it to all of you. It'll help in any instant of when you can't see," May explained.

May's compowder went off and she went to answer it, "Hello."

A minute of garbled speech occurred before May answered, "Yea, I can do that. I'll stop by tomorrow. Goodbye."

May then hung up and sighed, "Please tell me that wasn't In-Tech Labs," I whined.

May gave a small grin, "It's not. Clair just wanted me to come in to PHPA to talk to her tomorrow about something."

"About what?" Misty asked.

May shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not really sure. She said she wanted my opinion on something."

She yawned and looked at her poketch, "I'm gonna call it a night guys."

"Night May," we called out as she went upstairs.

Just as she left, the guys' wallets went off. They pulled them out and groaned.

"I take it that was a mission assignment?" I guessed.

"Yup, but it looks like we're supposed to do a B &amp; E during a fancy party at Lawrence Dobbins' Manor tomorrow late afternoon," Ash explained.

"Sounds interesting," I commented.

"You think it's fun. Ugh, I hate these fancy parties," Paul muttered.

"For one thing, you're gonna have to get used to it if you become the champion. Second, it said B &amp; E meaning you'll probably won't even have to attend the party," I explained. "Besides, be thankful you aren't on security duty for the party instead."

"Well it least it doesn't take up our whole weekend, at least we get to see you guys," Ash said with a grin.

I gave a sad grin, "Probably not, for one, you guys are probably gonna have to leave for PHPA in the morning to be briefed on what they want you to take. Second, May will be gone because Clair wants to talk to her. Third, I'm visiting Maylene tomorrow so I won't be here and Misty is gonna have to keep an eye on Leaf."

Ash sighed as his head drooped, "Well, so much as for that."

"It can't be helped Ash, this is the life we chose," Misty said sympathetically as she kissed his cheek. "Night you guys."

"Night Misty," we called.

Drew and Ash soon followed Misty up leaving just Paul and I.

"You sure you're okay?" Paul asked.

I sighed, "I'll get over it. I guess I'm upset with some of the drastic decisions we have to make."

Paul said nothing as he pulled me into a hug. I pulled myself away slightly so I could kiss him.

"Thanks for that," I murmured.

"You know you're not the only one who's upset," he reminded me.

"I know, I'm just more vocal about it," I said causing Paul to chuckle before he kissed me again.

I then yawned, "We better go to bed, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

* * *

**_November 26th (PHPA Headquarters)_**

(Drew's POV)

The guys and I reached the hidden entrance of PHPA, "Dang, it's been awhile since we've been here?" Ash commented as Gary did the security check to let us in.

"It has Ashy-boy," Gary said flatly.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Ash said as we walked in toward Lance's office for the debriefing.

"You can't blame him Ash. He'd rather be with Leaf than doing this right now," I pointed out.

"True, being with the girls would be a lot better than this," Ash agreed.

"You do know it could be worse," Paul pointed out.

"SSHHH!" Ash said loudly. "Do you want to jinx us?"

Paul rolled his eyes as we got into one of the elevators nearby. After a few minutes, we finally reached Lance's office.

"Glad to see you're finally back," Lance commented as he turned his chair to face us.

"Can we get to the point," Gary said gruffly.

Lance raised his eyebrow, but said nothing, "As you read in your message, you'll be infiltrating Lawrence Dobbins' Manor during a party being held. You're to sneak in and steal "The Star of Sinnoh"."

"Uh…since when are we jewel thieves?" I asked.

Lance frowned, "The gem was stolen years ago from the Sherrington Royal Family and our rumor network says that it is in the hands of Lawrence Dobbins."

"Why not ask for it back?" Ash asked causing all of us to groan.

"Ash, Lawrance Dobbins supposedly has connections to the Sinnoh Mafia. I doubt a supposedly gangster would give back a $750,000 dollar gem if we asked," Paul said harshly.

"It's now worth $1.1 million dollars," Lance corrected.

"Oh Rapidash, that's expensive!" Ash gasped.

"Which is why I want you to do a B &amp; E to get it," Lance clarified.

"But why, we don't steal gems?" I reminded again.

"Because Princess Salvia has asked for us to recover it," Lance answered.

"Why, what does she have to do with the Sherrington family?" Ash asked causing all of us to groan again.

"It's her last name, you moron," Gary snapped.

Lance sighed as he rubbed his temple, "Anyway, I have a guest who will help you plan this."

Lance then walked to his desk and pressed a button on his desk phone, "Send him in."

The door opened, "Hey you guys, long time no see."

"Hey!" I said as Max came in. "We haven't heard from you in a while. Whatcha doin' here?"

"Lance wanted me to come in and do some hacking," Max explained.

For the next couple hours, Max hacked into the mansion to download the security layout making it a whole easier to plan.

"In addition to the party, another agent will be standing by to create a distraction," Clair explained as she entered Lance's office.

"Who's the agent?" Paul asked.

"Her codename is Angel, she's new," Clair answered.

"Wait, you're sending us a newbie as back-up?" Gary asked in slight shock and annoyance.

Clair frowned, "Don't underestimate them, I think you'll find 'em quite the agent."

"But who are they?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Clair stated ending the discussion. "Max, do you have everything ready for them?"

"Yea, their stuff in the lab," Max answered as he shut his laptop.

"Good, good luck gentlemen," she said cuing us to leave.

"How's it goin' in Johto?" I asked as we followed Max.

"Pretty good, I've got two gym badges so far and Lizzy was able to get another ribbon," Max answered.

After a few more minutes, we took an elevator and walked a few corridors before we stood in front steel double doors. Max entered the security information and we went inside.

"About time you got back, we need to leave now if I want to get to the next contest," I familiar voice complained.

"Will you relax, we can have Kirlia teleport us to Catallia City," Max said slightly annoyed.

"Lizzy, what are you doing here?" I asked surprised.

"Working, I'm with Max in tech division," she explained.

"Why?" I asked exasperated.

"Why not? It's fun and I get to hack all I want," she said with a smirk.

"She's actually helpful in creating designs for gadgets too," Max added.

"What do you mean actually? I am," she said slightly annoyed.

"Anyway, in addition to the basics of what you have, you get the laser pen, contact lenses that can see through metal and detect heat, and the heat seeking sleep dart," Max inserted.

"Heat seeking sleep darts?" Ash asked.

"It's self-explanatory Ash," Gary said with a slight snap as he grabbed his stuff and changed into his body suit.

Lizzy raised an eyebrow, "What's with the 'tude?"

"Girlfriend Withdrawal Syndrome," I explained causing Lizzy to open her mouth in understanding.

Gary glared at me, but I challenged him by raising an eyebrow making him mutter under his breath as we finished suiting up.

We then made our way to the hanger to board a stealth jet, "Have fun with Angel," Lizzy hollered with a smirk.

* * *

(Leaf's POV)

"I think I can official say that I've never been this bored in my entire life," I groaned as I sprawled myself on one of the coaches in the common area.

"Well, it's kinda hard to come up with something to do since you can't see," Misty pointed out as I heard her turn a page in a book.

"At least you could do something with me instead of reading your book," I moaned.

I heard Misty groan as she closed her book, "Okay," I heard her say with slight annoyance as she shifted on her chair, "What do you want to do?"

"Hmm…..," I hummed aloud.

I heard Misty groan again as the door opened, "Hey you two," Dawn chirped. "What's up with you two?"

"Nothing," Misty grumbled as I heard Dawn collapse on the other overstuffed chair. "Leaf's bored and we're having a hard time coming up with something to do."

"TV?" Dawn suggested.

"Can't see," Misty and I muttered.

"Video games?"

"Can't see."

"Training?"

"Can't see."

"You know you can still hear things even if you can't see," Dawn muttered with slight annoyance.

"Anyway, how was Maylene?" Misty asked.

"She's still having some morning sickness and a few cravings, but she's able to keep up with the gym though she can't train as hard as she would like," Dawn reported.

"I can imagine, the strain would hurt the baby," I agreed.

"Other than that, she's doin' good," Dawn added.

"You've been visiting her quite a bit for the past few weeks," Misty noted.

"Such a sister-in-law thing to do," I teased.

I had the strong suspicion that Dawn rolled her eyes at my comment, "She's not my sister-in-law," Dawn said bluntly.

"Yet," Misty added cheekily.

"Ha ha," Dawn said sarcastically.

"You know it's only a matter of time," I teased.

"I doubt that. The only couple that it's a matter of time for is May and Drew. I swear they act like they are married," Dawn decided.

"I second that. My guess is he'll propose to her when we graduate in the spring," Misty bet.

"I don't know. May keeps pointing out the fact that she's too young," Dawn pointed out.

"Nah, feminine intuition says that she's more towards the point of where it's okay to be engaged," I stated. "Besides, some people have long engagements."

"Point taken," Misty agreed.

"Hey Misty, do you mind if we battle? I have a contest idea that I want to try out," Dawn asked.

"Yeah, but why?" Misty asked.

"I think I found a way to win against Paul," Dawn said excitedly.

"Pfft, that'll be the day," I scoffed. "No offense, but Paul is above you when it comes to battling."

"I know, but at least I'll give him a run for him money," Dawn retorted.

"Speaking of the guys, do you think they're having fun?" I asked.

* * *

(Gary's POV)

"I am so not having fun right now," I muttered as we fell from our hiding positions on the ceiling. "That was uncomfortable."

"Better to be uncomfortable than caught," Paul hissed.

"Are we to the vault yet?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, it's down the hall and passed the open area," Drew said as he glanced at the map.

We made our way there to find no one around, "Looks like everyone went to the party," Ash commented.

"Wait a minute," Drew said as his contacts glowed red. "There are two guards in the open area in front of the vault.

"How are we going to get rid of them?" Ash asked.

"Really Ashy-boy," I muttered as I pulled out the sleep-dart gun.

"Ohhh….right," Ash remembered.

I rolled my eyes as I took aim and shot the first guy.

"What the….?" the second guy said before I shot him and he fell.

We then made our way in and hacked the computer to get in the vault.

"There it is!" Ash said excitedly.

"Wait…!" I shouted before Ash grabbed the necklace. "It could be booby-trapped you moron!"

"Why would someone booby-trap their own vault?" Ash asked.

"Because he's cautious, he is rumored to have connections to the mafia," Paul reminded.

"Well, the contacts aren't picking up anything," Drew reported.

"Better switch necklaces," I said.

Paul pulled out the fake and quickly switched it with the real one.

We then exited the vault and closed it.

"Hey!" someone shouted as we closed the vault.

I pulled out the sleep dart gun and tried to shoot, but it jammed.

"Crap," I said as I shook it trying to shoot the guy.

The guy then pulled out a walky-talky, "We have a situ…."Drew clobbered the guy and he fell unconscious, "So much as for being incognito," Drew muttered.

"Blame the freakin' gun," I hissed as an alarm started to blare.

"_Greg, where are you? We need all persons investigating who pulled the fire alarm_," someone shouted over the guy's walky-talky.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Paul shouted over the noise.

We started running through the corridors in making our escape.

"Does anyone find it strange that no one has tried to stop us?" Ash shouted as we continued to run into an open area with access to the higher floors since we were underground.

"Hold it right there!"

"Thanks a lot!" I snapped at Ash.

We turned around to see guys holding guns, "Great," Paul muttered.

"Where's Angel? I thought she was the distraction to avoid this?" I wondered aloud in annoyance.

"Hey, you do know it's rude to ignore a lady?" a familiar voice said as the guy's started to fall forward.

"What the…..May?!" we shouted in surprise.

* * *

(May's POV)

Honestly, you'd think guys would have better manners.

"May, what are you doing here and where is Angel?" Ash asked.

"You're lookin' at her," I smirked as I kicked a guy in the gut to push him back, which is impressive considering I'm wearing heels.

I turned to see them slightly dazed, "Hey, phase out on your own time," I said as I continued to stop henchmen that kept pouring in.

"But what are you doing here?" Drew asked.

"Questions later please," I said getting slightly snappy.

I turned around to see that we were being surrounded, "Okey, now you're pissing me off," I said as I pulled the rose sitting in my updo to change it from completely up to half up-half down. "If I kicked your ass then stay down.

I swung the rose out next to me to change it into a staff to fight, similar to the one Domino had. I then started to fight with some of my elemental powers through in.

"Got any ideas?" Ash asked as the henchmen pushed us together in being surrounded.

"Hang on!" I shouted as I tapped the bottom of my staff to the ground. "Frenzy plant!"

We were then lifted to the higher levels by big, thick vines. We jumped to the floor and began to ran down a corridor.

"This way," I shouted as I took the lead.

We avoided running into anybody as we made our way outside to the edge of the island near a cliff.

I heard bullets being shot at us and saw the henchmen from earlier bearing down on us.

"What do we do now? We're screwed," Gary shouted in concern as I let my rose shrink and put it back in my hair.

I looked over the edge and out to the horizon, "Jump!" I shouted.

The guys looked at me like I was crazy, "I'd like to live, thank you," Gary retorted.

"Trust me!" I shouted.

The guys looked at each other nervously, but followed my lead as we jumped.

"Give me flight!" I shouted as I sprouted aura wings and felt myself being controlled to produce Psychic to levitate the guys from falling to their deaths.

"What the…? You can fly?" Gary and Ash shouted in astonishment.

I barely heard them as I flew us to a cloaked jet a hundred yards away. By the time we got inside, I was ready to pass out as I felt power leave me and I felt myself begin to sway.

"Whoa there," Drew said in concern as he picked me up and placed me on one of the couches on the jet.

I mentally sighed. This is getting ridiculous, I can't use any of my powers anymore without feeling faint and weak. This is not normal.

"You okay?" Drew asked in concern.

I looked at him and gave a small smile, "I'll be okay, just need to get my energy back."

Drew nodded and kissed my forehead before taking a seat near me as I felt the jet begin to move.

"Okay, so first off, how long have you been able to fly?" Ash asked.

"A few months, but I can't do it for very long, it uses up a lot of my aura," I explained.

"Second, what's with being called Angel and why were you here?" Gary asked.

"I was your back-up for this mission via Clair's orders and Angel is my codename, Clair's decision, not mine," I explained.

"Wait….Clair said a new agent was our back-up," Ash said aloud in thought. "Does that mean you…."

I gave a small smile, "Yup. Since Max and I have disbanded, Clair recruited me as an independent agent so I work for PHPA now if you can believe that."

"Is that why you had to come in? Why did you join?" Drew asked.

"Slow down grasshead, one question at a time," I said as I sat up. "In a since yes, Clair asked me to come in to explain the mission, but she asked me to join the day we stopped by PHPA and shut down that robot. As for why I joined, I couldn't stop doing what I do so I thought the next best thing would be to join PHPA."

"What about Lance?" Ash asked.

"For one thing, he's not my boss, Clair is. That was one condition I had before I joined. As for his reaction to me joining, I don't really know. I didn't see him at all when I went to headquarters."

"So are you joining the girl's team?" Gary asked.

I shook my head, "They already have a good thing goin', but I might be assigned to work with them from time to time though."

I then heard a beep coming from my earbud communicator, "_Angel, you read me_?"

"Angel here," I responded.

"_Did the mission go okay_?" Clair asked.

"It went as good as it could. We were chased off the island, but the guy's achieved their objective," I reported.

"_Good, the guys can come back to headquarter with the necklace. As for you, I have another mission_."

I sat and listened to the instructions Clair gave me before I stood up and changed my outfit with my compowder to a red catsuit similar to the one the girls have.

"Where are you going?" Drew asked.

"Another mission," I said as I grabbed a heart-shaped backpack sitting nearby. "Meanwhile, Clair's calling you back to headquarters."

Drew frowned, "Are you sure you're well enough to go? You still look pale."

I turned around and gave a small smile before kissing him, "I'm fine, no need to worry," I said using Dawn's quip.

I then walked to the side of the plane, "I'll see you guys later," I said before opening the door. "Angel, out!"

* * *

**Ari: Hooray! Leaf and Gary are back together! Ya'll can stop hating me now. Anyways, apologies again for the late update, but I've been busy. Sadly, I have no idea when I'll be updating as I need to get my thoughts together in what I'm writing and I'm swamped with homework. Til next chapter, stay awesome!**


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